The camera pans over the sold out crowd. We see tons of homemade signs for various wrestlers. We also see a heightened security presence once more due to the ongoing ECW intrusion issues.

1. Scorpio vs. Mr. Aguila

Mr. Aguila usually does his talking in Spanish, but his promo this evening was in English for the benefit of his opponent Scorpio (aka Flash Funk) who he severely belittled in the ring before their match introductions. The Mexican luchador claimed that he could beat Scorpio every which way possible. Apparently Mr. McMahon was listening in the back and decided to hold Aguila accountable for his boast . The Boss came out and changed their bout to a Hardcore Match. Neither Aguila nor Scorpio seemed comfortable with the new stipulations, but used whatever objects they could find beneath the ring in an attempt to defeat one another. At one point, Scorpio slid a folding table into the ring and leaned it upright in a corner. The strategy would ultimately backfire and prove to be his undoing. Aguila reversed a whip into the table and then drove Scorpio right through it with a Corner Drop Kick to gain the winning pinfall at 8:33.

Backstage segment - Mr. McMahon's Office

McMahon is in a meeting with his corporate stooges Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco discussing the ECW problem. The Boss tells his cronies that he has a surprise in store for them this evening and calls down to the production truck. We hear him say, "Do we have a live feed in place yet ?" McMahon gets his answer, smiles and hangs up the phone. He turns to Brisco and says, "What goes around comes around."

This is a Grudge Match stemming from an incident in which Matt blinded Christian with Gangrel's goblet of blood leading to Droz & Prince Albert's tag team victory over the Brood during last week's episode of RAW . The Vampire Warrior was a heavy favorite to win this contest after racking up bonus points for cutting a terrific backstage promo and then jumping his opponent from behind while Matt was being interviewed by Kevin Kelly. Once the bout finally got under way, Edge proved to be a nuisance by constantly interfering. Christian also contributed to the cause by distracting Referee Tim White which enabled Gangrel to clobber Matt with his goblet. The Vampire Warrior then finished off Hardy with his Impaler (Implant DDT) soon after. The time of the match was 5:51.

Backstage segment

The roving cameraman is following the Jackyl from a distance so as not to be detected. The covert surveillance captures the Truth Commission's unsavory manager quietly unlocking a side door to the On Center. The Jackyl peeks around for any witnesses to the deed. Satisfied that his actions went unseen, he sneaks off into the shadows.

There are no pinfalls, DQs, submissions or count outs. The match is simply won by putting your opponent through a table. Chainz got off to a great start thanks in large part to the endless distractions that his corner men provided. Ellering and company took things a little too far, however, and were ordered to return to the back by Senior Official Earl Hebner. The momentum of the match immediately swung in Vader's favor. A pair of crushing Head Butts dazed the 6' 8" Chainz who then found himself being hoisted up onto his opponent's shoulders in a Fireman's Carry position. Vader then ended things by sending Chainz through a table with a Samoan Drop/Fallaway Slam at 10:15.

In Ring Segment

"No chance in hell" theme music brings out Mr. McMahon, Gerald Brisco and Pat Patterson. The Boss directs everyone's attention to the jumbo Titantron screen. An image of a wrestling ring suddenly comes into focus. It becomes obvious that this is not a WWF event, but rather the ECW "CyberSlam" pay-per-view being held at the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, PA. There is a tag team match in progress pitting Taz & Sabu against the Dudley Boyz. We can hear Joey Styles and Joel Gertner on commentary calling the action. Suddenly there is a commotion with several wrestlers running into the ring including "The Most Dangerous Man in the World" Ken Shamrock, Hawk & Animal of L.O.D. 2000, the Godfather, Droz and Bradshaw. The WWF contingent put a beat down on their ECW counterparts until they are run off by security personnel and several other ECW wrestlers rushing in from the back. The live feed abruptly cuts off. There are some chants of "ECW !" but most fans are cheering for the WWF's bold retaliation. McMahon then says, "Mr. Heyman, when you mess with the bull, you get the horns !" and returns to the back with Patterson and Brisco in tow.

Anything goes in this one ! Unlike Aguila and Scorpio in our first contest, these four men are very adept at using weapons of all shapes and sizes to dish out the punishment on their adversaries. The path of destruction from this all-out-brawl weaved and meandered its way backstage throughout the On Center sending WWF crewmen and arena attendants scattering in every direction. The four-man slobberknocker eventually broke apart into two separate skirmishes. Chainsaw Charlie and Road Dogg ended up in the locker room with both men taking turns ramming one another into the wall of a shower stall all the while while being drenched under the scalding hot spray. Billy Gunn and Cactus Jack some how found themselves outside battling on the loading dock. Cactus catapulted Billy face-first into the side of the WWF's tractor trailer equipment truck and scored the pinfall with Referee Mike Chioda racing into camera shot to make the three count at 16:40.

Terri and Severn were making their case for a European title shot against The Artist Formerly Known as Goldust when the Beast was abruptly laid out by a chair shot from the defending Champion. Goldust then got right up into Terri's face with the two engaging in a heated confrontation. Mr. McMahon and WWF Commissioner Sergeant Slaughter quickly intervened. The Boss declared that Goldust would indeed be defending the European championship at the WWF's upcoming "Bad Blood" pay-per-view, but also added that his challenger would be determined by the winner of the upcoming match between Severn and Faarooq.

Goldust's attack cost Severn 200 points to help make Faarooq the favorite to win their match. Terri added to her man's woes by accidentally spraying perfume into Severn's eyes once the bout had gotten under way. Everything seemed to be going Faarooq's way until The Rock came down to ringside. This was indeed and interesting development given the recent falling out between the two over the Nation of Domination's leadership and direction. Despite their spat, the Rock seemed firmly behind Faarooq's efforts tonight and got in a few cheap shots on Severn when Referee Tim White's back was turned. The Brahma Bull dismissed D'Lo from ringside, telling him "I've got this" and "take the rest of the night off" while continuing to shout encouragement to Faarooq from his corner. Once Brown had returned to the back, though, the Rock revealed his true intentions. With the official spilled to the canvas during a Spinebuster off the ropes on Severn, the Brahma Bull snuck into the ring and planted Faarooq into the mat with the Rock Bottom (Falling Side Slam). He then dragged the Beast on top of Faarooq and high-tailed it out of the ring just as Referee Tim White was shaking out the cobwebs to crawl over and make the three count at 7:13. Dan Severn will face The Artist Formerly Known as Goldust at Bad Blood for the European Championship.

Backstage segment - Mr. McMahon's Office

McMahon, Brisco and Patterson are still chirping over the WWF's disruption at the ECW pay-per-view. McMahon has a smug look on his face and says to Brisco, "You call that a pay-per-view ?? What did they have there, like a thousand people ?? Gimme a break ! Our house shows at high school gyms have bigger crowds than that !" A voice then comes over the intercom on his phone and says, "Mr. McMahon, you have a call. Paul Heyman is on Line 1 for you." There is a smattering of chuckles among the Boss and his associates. McMahon picks up the phone, laughs and hangs up on Heyman.

Wrestling machine Owen Hart was well received during his ring entrance in Syracuse this evening to boost his total by 75 points. Not to be outdone, his opponent Triple H also added to his score thanks in large part to the popularity of his "Let's get ready to suck it !" catchphrase. (In typical DX fashion, the slogan was meant to parody Michael Buffer's famous "Let's get ready to rumble !" intro that the ring announcer often performs for rival WCW's Main Events.) Hart's chances were further enhanced by a roll on his Savvy modifier, but Helmsley did him one better in that regard by countering with "Ally Interference" which brings us to the pugnacious Chyna. Not only did the "Ninth Wonder of the World" flatten Hart with a DDT on the floor when the action moved OOR, she also contributed directly to Helmsley's victory by interferring with Owen's Sunset Flip attempt into the ring from the apron. With Chyna's help, Triple H was able to maintain his balance and sit on Owen's chest, all the while holding onto the top rope for additional leverage to pin Hart's shoulders to the mat at 10:08.

"Bad Blood" Pay-Per-View Promo

We see highlights of matches from previous "Bad Blood" events over the years followed by a montage of clips promoting the European Title Match between The Artist Formerly Known as Goldust and his challenger Dan "The Beast" Severn. We're shown Goldust's chair shot on Severn from earlier this evening as well as the heated exchange that ensued between the Champ and Terri Runnels before fading to the "Bad Blood" logo:

This is a non-title match. The Big Boss Man was joined by his Big Trouble tag team partner the Big Show and Mr. McMahon for a pre-match interview with Kevin Kelly. As it turned out, the Big Show did most of the talking which centered around him issuing a challenge to the Undertaker to face him at "Bad Blood". When it came time for the Deadman's promo (and answer), the 'Taker gladly accepted the invitation on the one condition that it be a Buried Alive Match. Fully aware of what the Undertaker was capable of, Mr. McMahon seemed very apprehensive to the notion, however the Big Show agreed to the stipulation. With their pay-per-view match now firmly set and his competitive fire stoked, the Deadman took out his fury on the Big Boss Man. The former prison guard from Cobb County inflicted a lot of damage during the match with his signature Nightstick, but went down for the count in the end. The Boss Man was dazed after being sent crashing into the Big Show who was up on the apron attempting to interfere, and finished off with the Undertaker's Tombstone Piledriver moments later at 12:36.

After the match, Mr McMahon stayed behind to address his reservations regarding the Undertaker and Big Show's Buried Alive Match at "Bad Blood". Given the dangerous nature of the contest, he expressed serious concern for the well being of both participants and pleaded that they reconsider. Suddenly, ECW's Sandman, Balls Mahoney and Rhyno raced down the aisle and corned Mr. McMahon in the ring. The trio seemed poised to attack when "HBK" Shawn Michaels and his D-Generation X contingent of Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Billy Gunn and Road Dogg all charged to the rescue. DX ran off the intruders leaving Michaels and the Boss remaining in the ring. A shaken Mr. McMahon straightened his tie and paused to regain his composure. "I didn't expect that from you, Shawn," McMahon said humbly, "Not after what I did to you last week on RAW. Trust me when I say that you and your crew will all find something extra in your paychecks this week as a token of my appreciation. I owe you that much .... and I also owe you an apology." McMahon extended his hand, and Michael's shook it as the fans cheered. HBK then played to the crowd a little bit before suddenly laying out McMahon with his Sweet Chin Music Superkick. Michaels stood over the prone Boss and said, "And I owed you that much, Vince !" HBK gave a couple of crotch chops and then left the ring to Degeneration X's theme music as we fade to black with the WWF logo:

Kevin Kelly bumps into Jerry "The King" Lawler who is giving Brian "Too Sexy" Christopher a pep talk regarding his upcoming match tonight. Kelly asks where Christopher's "Too Much" tag team partner Scott "Too Hot" Taylor is. "How the heck should I know ??" the King snaps at him, "Wherever he is, he can stay there for all I care !" Kelly notes that Taylor usually accompanies Too Sexy to the ring for Christopher's matches. "Yeah, well, how's that worked out so far, Kevin Kelly ??" the King rhetorically asks, "I'll be in Brian's corner tonight ! Now hit the road and mind your own business ! " Kelly persists in questioning Lawler further. "Why have you taken such a personal interest in Brian Christopher's career ?" Lawler's patience with Kelly is clearly wearing thin. "Because I see potential in him, that's why !" the King answers, "And as long as he stays with that clown Scott Taylor, it's wasted potential if you ask me ! Now leave us alone ! Brian's got a big match tonight against a top opponent that I've hand-picked for him and he's got to prepare !"

This battle is a continuation of the "Gang Wars" feud between the Japanese faction Kaientai and the Latino group know as Los Boricuas. The origins of the squabble can be traced back to the "Judgement Day" pay-per-view in which Los Boricuas disrupted a Ladder Match pitting Taka Michinoku against Sho Funaki for the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship. Teioh had a slight edge in points going into this contest despite his Technical Modifier essentially being offset by Castillo's Cheating. The match came down to an ill-advised leap off the 2nd rope in which Castillo was caught in mid-air by Teioh and planted into the canvas with a Nodowa Bomb (Falling Chokebomb) for the three count at 6:14.

RAW Rewind Segment Entitled "The ECW Invasion"

Highlights are shown of ECW's Dudley Boyz, Taz, Sabu and Dawn Marie interfering in various WWF matches over the past several weeks, followed by Ken Shamrock, the Godfather, L.O.D. 2000, Droz and Bradshaw disrupting ECW's "CyberSlam" pay-per-view in retaliation. The segment ends with D-Generation rushing into the ring to save a cornered Mr. McMahon from the Sandman, Balls Mahoney and Rhyno.

Duane Gill, aka Gillberg (a scrawny enhancement parody of WCW's Manster Goldberg), came out with Al Snow sporting a shaved head, goatee and a J.O.B. Squad T-shirt. Flexing his muscles (or lack, thereof), Gill nearly fled to the back after being frightened by his own pyrotechnics entrance. Assured by Snow (and "Head") that he was in no imminent danger, Gillberg skittishly made his way down the aisle to face Christopher. This bout was intended to be a pure squash and an opportunity for Too Sexy to showcase his talent, but it turned out to be a highly competitive nail-biter instead. Gill came within an eyelash of scoring a pinfall after Christopher's Tennessee Jam (Leaping Leg Drop from the top rope) missed its mark. An alarmed Jerry Lawler then interjected himself into the proceedings and baited Gillberg into a verbal confrontation. Too Sexy capitalized on the distraction by catching his preoccupied foe in a School Boy Rollup for the pin at 5:03.

"Bad Blood" Pay-Per-View Promo hyping the Undertaker's Buried Alive Match against the Big Show and Dan "The Beast" Severn's European Championship Match against the Artist Formerly Known as Goldust.

The Blackjacks made a big entrance after a terrific backstage promo to earn themselves 125 additional points. Bradshaw has been branching out into singles competition with marginal success as of late, but seemed much more within his element tonight having returned to tag team action. The Blackjacks dominated the contest, but outside interference kept the Truth Commission in the thick of it. The 6' 10" Kurrgan was able to sneak in several cheap shots while the Jackyl distracted Referee Jim Korderas. At one point, the Interrogator flattened Bradshaw with a Big Boot, but Korderas was still too busy arguing with the Jackyl to count the subsequent pin attempt. Sniper immediately jumped up and spun the startled official around, only to be rolled up by Bradshaw for the three count at 7:51.

RAW Promo

Jim Ross plugs the upcoming Monday Night RAW card from the Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, VA. Matches include a "Guitar on a Pole Match" between Jeff Jarrett and X-Pac of D-Generation X, Dude Love vs. the Big Show, and a grudge match pitting Faarooq against The Rock in the Main Event. JR also said that there would be a special announcement from Mr. McMahon regarding who would face the Headbangers at "Bad Blood" for the WWF Tag Team Championship.

Steve Blackman's pre-match interview with Kevin Kelly was rudely interrupted by Jacqueline who slapped him across the face after the Lethal Weapon had made some disparaging remarks about Marc Mero. Blackman got some payback, however, by attacking Marvelous Marc before the opening bell rang. The ambush gave the Lethal Weapon the early advantage, but Blackman allowed himself to be drawn into a shouting match with Jacqueline. Mero snuck in a Low Blow to turn the tide of the bout in his favor and scored the pinfall with his TKO finisher (Fireman's Carry Cutter) at 7:15.

Backstage segment - Kevin Kelly Interview with the Godfather

The Godfather is surrounded by his girls who are flirting with Kevin Kelly. Kelly wants to get the inside scoop on the Rock/Faarooq situation within the Nation of Domination. We're shown a clip from last week's RAW of the Brahma Bull giving Faarooq the Rock Bottom during a match against Dan Severn and costing him a European Title shot against the Artist Formerly Known as Goldust at the upcoming "Bad Blood" pay-per-view. The Godfather declined to comment, stating only that the Nation would get their house in order "by any means necessary" (the stable's signature catchphrase). The Pimp Daddy seemed more interested, rather, in hooking Kelly up with some female companionship after the show; an offer that the interviewer politely turned down. The Godfather merely shrugged and said, "Pimpin' ain't easy."

Both grapplers got huge reactions to their entrances. The fans loved the flames blazing forth from the four corner ring posts upon Kane's command, but they equally enjoyed watching the Godfather's scantily clad, shall we say, "ladies of the evening" dancing in the ring to his funky 70's theme music. In a comical moment, the Godfather offered Kane the services of any one of his girls for the evening if the Big Red Machine would forfeit the match. Kane quietly stared at him while pulling up his gloves and clenching his fists. "Uh, I'll take that as a 'no', then ?" the Godfather said. It was just as well. None of his ladies seemed too keen on spending the night with Kane anyway. Once the gals finished strutting their stuff in the ring and exited the premises, it was time to get down to business. Both competitors had their moments as the momentum swung back and forth between them. The Godfather was able to execute his trademark Ho Train Corner Avalanche, while Kane's offense included a Tilt-A-Whirl Slam off the ropes, a Flying Clothesline and a crushing Backbreaker across the knee. The turning point of the bout came when the Pimp Daddy's fellow Nation of Domination member Mark Henry came down to ringside and tried to lend a hand by throwing powder into the Big Red Machine's eyes. Kane ducked however, leaving his opponent to take the cloud of powder to the face instead. The blinded Godfather stumbled right into a kick to the midsection and was finished off by a Tombstone Piledriver moments later. The time of the match was 12:05.

Looking to make a name for herself in the WWF, newcomer Ivory was attempting to put herself over with the fans during a pre-match interview with Michael Cole when her opponent Luna Vachon and European Champion Goldust rudely barged in on them. Luna told Ivory to hit the road and immediately changed the topic of conversation to Goldust's title defense against Dan "The Beast" Severn at the upcoming Bad Blood pay-per-view. Vachon cut a scathing promo on Severn's "Barbie Doll" manager Terri Runnels and warned her not to interfere or risk "facing the consequences", the details of which she did not elaborate on.

1. Ivory vs. Luna Vachon (w/ The Artist Formerly Know as Goldust)

Goldust and Vachon's intrusion cost Ivory 50 points, but as it turned out, Luna's total would also take a hit. Apparently Terri Runnels overheard Vachon's comments and responded by pushing Goldust's valet off the ramp as Luna was making her ring entrance. Vachon took a bad spill to the floor and lost 200 points from the fall making her a heavy underdog against Ivory. Hampered and hobbling throughout the contest, Luna found herself in one pinning predicament after another. A desperation roundhouse punch from Vachon accidentally decked Referee Chad Patton after Ivory ducked at the last instant. The official wasted no time in calling for the bell and DQ'd Luna at 5:39.

Backstage segment featuring Tiger Ali Singh

Unsuccessful in soliciting the services of one of the Godfather's "hos" to provide female companionship for his Manservant Babu at a previous RAW event, Tiger Ali Singh took matters into his own hands this evening. Singh seeked out and found Sable walking around backstage. Waving a fistful of hundred dollar bills, the wealthy but vile playboy from India whispered his indecent proposal into the WWF diva's ear. Sable flirtatiously smirked, slipped the cash into her halter top and promised both Babu and Singh that they would indeed see her later on.

2. Droz vs. Tiger Ali Singh (w/ Babu)

Perhaps feeling overly anxious and inspired by his forthcoming rendezvous with Sable, Babu tried to end this match quickly by reaching into the ring and tripping Droz early in the action. The interference nearly garnered his master a victory, but Droz spoiled the subsequent pin attempt by getting a foot on the bottom rope to break Referee Mike Sparks' three count. True to her word, Sable then made her way down to ringside. Babu tried to tell her that she was too premature and to return backstage until the match was over. The diva responded by planting him with a DDT on the floor. Sable then connected with a Low Blow to Singh from behind to give Droz the pinfall at 4:27.

Backstage segment - Mr. McMahon's Office

Mr. McMahon is preparing to make his big announcement regarding who the Headbangers' opponents will be for the Tag Team Championship at the Bad Blood pay-per-view when we hear his secretary come over the intercom on his phone. "Mr. McMahon, you have call. Paul Heyman is holding for you on Line 1." The Boss rolls his eyes and reluctantly picks up the call.

Mr. McMahon: "Are we going to have more ECW run-ins tonight, Heyman ?"

Paul Heyman: "Vince, don't hang up on me ! I just want a minute of your time."

Mr. McMahon: (After a long pause) "You have 30 seconds. Make it good."

Paul Heyman: (Very slowly and deliberately) "There is money to be made here ...."

After Test was introduced by Ring Announcer Howard Finkel, Jim Cornette insisted upon doing the honors for "Bombastic" Bob Holly. Cornette did not take kindly to Test interrupting him, however, and ordered both Gunn and Holly to attack him before the opening bell. As a result, Test lost 100 points from the ambush. Gunn would go on to have a further impact on this bout's outcome. Bodacious Bart snuck into the ring and reversed Test's Small Package cradle while Cornette argued with Referee Jack Doan. The official finally turned around to find Bombastic Bob on top and counted the pin at 7:36.

"No chance in hell" theme music brings out Mr. McMahon with his Corporate stooges Gerald Brisco and Pat Patterson to loud "Boos !"

Mr. McMahon: "It's time to announce who will face the Headbangers for the tag team titles at Bad Blood. While I initially had a specific team in mind ....

(a "New Age Outlaws" chant goes up among the capacity crowd) ..... some new developments have just come to light. And so ..... I've decided to change my mind. We're going to have a Tag Team Battle Royal instead to determine who the number one contenders will be. Let's get to it !"

4. 16-Man Tag Team Battle Royal

Stipulations are as follows: Competitors are eliminated by being sent over the top rope and out of the ring with both feet touching the floor. The tag team represented by the last man remaining in the ring shall be declared the winner with his team facing the Champion Headbangers for the WWF Tag Team Championship at Bad Blood. Competitors as chosen by Mr. McMahon included 8-Ball & Skull from the Disciples of the Apocalypse, the Hardy Boyz (Matt & Jeff), Hawk & Animal of L.O.D. 2000, the New Blackjacks (Bradshaw & Windham), Brian "Too Sexy" Christopher & Scott "Too Hot" Taylor of Too Much, Southern Justice (Dennis Knight & Mark Canterbury), D'Lo Brown & "The World's Strongest Man" Mark Henry of the Nation of Domination, and Recon & Sniper from the Truth Commission. Conspicuous by their absence, the New Age Outlaws (Road Dogg & "Bad Ass" Billy Gunn).

The New Age Outlaws burst in on the Boss. They're fuming as to why they were excluded from the Tag Team Battle Royal Match. McMahon smiles and leans back in his chair.

Mr. McMahon: "There's money to be made here, boys."

Billy Gunn: "How can we make money ? We weren't in the Battle Royal Match and now we're not going to be at Bad Blood !"

Mr. McMahon: "Now hold on there, Billy. While it's true that the New Age Outlaws won't be wrestling the Headbangers for the tag team belts, I never said that you wouldn't be at Bad Blood. I have a higher purpose in mind for you and Road Dogg, and trust me when I say that you will make money - lots of money."

Road Dogg: "I'm down with that, but what are we talking about here ?"

Mr. McMahon: "The Outlaws beat Southern Justice at Judgement Day and earned a title match against the Headbangers on the following RAW."

Road Dogg: "And we would have won them damn belts, too, if the Dudley Boyz hadn't interfered ! "

Mr. McMahon: "You know what ? I think you're right, Road Dogg. I think you boys would have won the titles that night."

Road Dogg: "Damn straight !"

Mr. McMahon: "But you didn't ..... Because of the Dudley Boyz ..... In fact, as I recall, I think they gave you the Dudley Death Drop, didn't they, Billy ? How'd that feel ?"

Billy Gunn: "Let me get them in the ring and I'll show you how that felt !"

Mr. McMahon: "Precisely. What would you say if I told you boys that I can make that match happen ?"

Billy Gunn: "The Dudleyz are jumping ship to the WWF ?"

Mr. McMahon: "No, not exactly. But Paul Heyman and I are working on something special .... including The New Age Outlaws vs. the Dudley Boyz at Bad Blood. Heyman says his team is better, but I say that my team is better. Now what do you say ?"

This match is a continuation of the feud between D-Generation X and Tennessee Lee's stable. After disappointing losses to both Billy Gunn and the Road Dogg in recent weeks, Jeff Jarrett was looking for a little retribution tonight at X-Pac's expense. Jarrett's acoustic guitar was tethered atop a pole in one of the corner's of the ring. Either man could wield the guitar as a weapon to help them defeat their opponent if they could get to it first. Since climbing was involved, both competitor's Ladder Modifier points came into play to determine a winner. X-Pac had a slight edge in that regard, but it was Tennessee Lee's interference that ultimately made the difference. Lee pulled X-Pac's foot out from under him as the DX member was attempting to scale the turnbuckle to retrieve the guitar. X-Pac fell to the canvas allowing his adversary to successfully fetch the weapon. Jarrett scored the winning pinfall after coming off the top rope with an El Kabong guitar smash to his opponent's noggin just as X-Pac was getting back to his feet. The time of the fall was 12:58.

RAW Rewind

A montage of clips involving the internal friction between the Nation of Domination's Rock & Farooq. We see a clip of the Brahma Bull ducking a Faarooq Clothesline leading to the Rock's victory over Bradshaw on an episode of RAW. Next we're shown Faarooq sustaining the Rock Bottom in a loss to Dan "The Beast" Severn on another edition of RAW. Severn's victory earned him a European Title Match against the Artist Formerly Know as Goldust at Bad Blood.

This is a non-title match. After some alleged dissension in the ranks during recent weeks, the Nation of Domination chose to settle their business inside the squared circle. Fellow Nation members D'Lo Brown, Mark Henry and the Godfather all came down to ringside for a front row seat. It soon became obvious to everyone watching that there were clearly two camps within the stable. D'Lo tripped the Rock during the proceedings while the Godfather did likewise to Faarooq. Mark Henry then showed where his allegiance was by giving the Rock a shove off the top rope when the Brahma Bull was setting himself on the turnbuckle to deliver a high risk leap. The Rock took a bad spill to the canvas with Faarooq covering him for the 1-2-3 at 11:46. While the match way have been intended to re-unify the Nation of Domination, it only succeeded in driving them further apart.

The Big Boss Man made an immediate impact on this match before it had even officially started. The former prison guard snuck up from behind and clubbed Dude Love over the back with his nightstick to inflict 200 points worth of damage during the Dude's ring entrance. The Boss Man struck again once the match got under way. Dude Love was attempting to give the Big Show a Suplex when the Boss Man reached into the ring and tripping him up. A loud reaction from the crowd indicated that help was on the way from the back in the form of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin ! The WWF Champ raced down the aisle and ran off the Boss Man after battling him around ringside. There were more surprises to come as the Dude began to get the upper hand on the Big Show ! "The Big Red Machine" Kane came out next. Fans were expecting to see him take the Big Show to task after Kane's run in with Big Trouble at the Judgement Day pay-per-view. As it turned out, the fickle Kane had other ideas in mind. The Big Red Machine inexplicably laid out Dude Love with a Tombstone Piledriver enabling the Big Show to gain the three count at 10:26.

Kane was returning to the back when he was confronted by an irate Steve Austin. "What the hell are you thinking, son ??" the Texas Rattlesnake demanded, "How can you help that S.O.B. when he tried to put you in the damn hospital ??" (Austin, who was the Big Red Machine's tag team partner at Judgement Day, was referring to a backstage assault by Big Trouble that nearly eliminated Kane from the Main Event.)

Kane tried to push Austin aside to get by him but Stone Cold was having none of it. "I'm talking to you dammit" Austin persisted while jabbing an accusing finger into his partner's chest, "I want an answer !" Kane's response was to grab the WWF champ by the throat and plant him onto the ramp with a vicious Chokeslam.

Jerry Lawler: "I told you Austin was making a big mistake by trusting Kane, JR ! I told you !"

Jim Ross: "That Kane is one sadistic and unpredictable individual, King ! There's no telling what he'll do !"

The camera follows the Big Red Machine backstage where he is greeted by a gloating Mr. McMahon, his cronies Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco, and both members of Big Trouble.

The camera pans over the capacity crowd at the Spokane Arena. Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler hype tonight's card as well as the upcoming Bad Blood pay-per-view

1. Sunny of L.O.D. 2000 vs.Tori of D-Generation X

While Sunny won't exactly wrestle circles around anyone inside the ring, her opponent Tori is a relative newcomer to the business and is still honing her craft. Tori received an extra 100 points prior to the match thanks in large part to a great backstage interview with Lilian Garcia in which Hunter Hearst Helmsley did the bulk of the talking for her, but the bonus was offset by her opponent's popular entrance. Sunny emerged from the back to Hawk's "What a Rrrrrrrrrruuuuuuuussssssshhhhhhhhhhh !" growl wearing nothing but a red and black bikini, wrestling boots, and a set of Hawk & Animal's spiked shoulder pads much to the delight of the men in attendance. Neither of the gals were able to add to their scores with their respective Modifiers (Sunny rolled "Cheating" while Tori drew "Speed"), but Sunny did control the tempo of the match throughout. In the end, Sunny pinned her opponent with a Stunner at 3:08, but the match was more of an opportunity for the blonde beauty to entertain the crowd and draw support for her tag team of L.O.D. 2000.

Backstage segment - "In the Zone"

"The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock is in the locker room preparing for his match against "The Vampire Warrior" Gangrel later tonight. By the wild look in his eyes, we can see that Shamrock is "in the zone" - a catchphrase he often uses to describe when he is uber-focused on the task at hand. Most of his fellow wrestlers know to leave Shamrock alone and give him plenty of space when he is in such a state of mind, but Mr. McMahon has chosen this specific moment to confront him. "Paul Heyman has told me that his wrestler Taz can take you any time he pleases, but that we'll never know for sure because you're too much of a coward to face him in the ring one-on-one." Shamrock looks like a volcano that's ready to explode. Red-faced and hyperventilating, he gets right up in McMahon's face and clenches his fists. A crowd of wrestlers gather around them and are poised to step in and protect the Boss if need be. The tension is thick, but McMahon tells them to back off. "What would you say if I could make that match happen at Bad Blood," the Boss asks. Shamrock is so amped up that he can hardly speak and nods instead. "Consider it done," McMahon says and leaves the locker room.

The latest skirmish in the Kaientai/Los Boricuas feud yielded no winner. Referee Mike Chioda had the unenviable task of trying to maintain order both in and out of the ring; a feat which proved to be too difficult for one official to accomplish. Amidst the mayhem that ensued, all three members of Kaientai hit successive Splashes from the top rope onto a prone Savio Vega who had snuck into the ring during an attempt to interfere. Castillo and Perez then entered the ring to join the fray leaving Chioda no choice but to call for the bell and disqualify both teams at 7:45.

RAW Rewind

Highlights are shown from the Dude Love/Big Show Main Event from last week's RAW leading to a confrontation between WWF Champion "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and his Judgment Day tag team partner Kane in which the Texas Rattlesnake was Chokeslammed onto the ramp. We're then shown footage of the Big Red Machine being warmly received backstage by Mr. McMahon, his stooges Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco, and the tag team of Big Trouble (The Big Show & Big Boss Man). The piece ends with Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler speculating as to whether or not Kane is now officially a member of McMahon's Corporate Stable.

On paper, Kurrgan (6' 10", 350 lbs) matched up well with Kane (7' 0", 323 lbs) in size, but the Big Red Machine dominated this bout from start to finish. Botched outside interference certainly didn't help the Interrogator's cause any. Looking to capitalize on a distraction from the Jackyl, Sniper tossed a chain into the ring for Kurrgan to use but overshot his reach. Kane snatched it up off the canvas, wrapped the chain around his fist and laid out the Interrogator with a loaded punch to the kisser. Referee Teddy Long then turned around to find the Big Red Machine making the cover on his KO'd opponent and counted the pin at 4:03.

Backstage segment - Kane Interview

Lilian Garcia was attempting to interview Paul Bearer and Kane regarding the skirmish with Austin last week on RAW when the Rattlesnake rushed in and clobbered the Big Red Machine with a chair shot. WWF officials and personnel quickly intervened to separate the two. Former grappler-turned-road agent Tony Garea received a Stone Cold Stunner for his trouble. Austin was finally pulled away, but not before delivering an obscenity-laced rant that was extensively censored.

Object Modifiers always come into play during Hardcore Matches and Chainsaw Charlie held a slight edge in that regard. Incorporating his trademark catchphrase of "Doing Hard Time", the Boss Man compensated by cutting a great promo to tack on 125 points to his score. The former prison guard from the Cobb County Correctional Facility proved that his Hardcore Championship was no fluke. While the Boss Man may not have used his signature nightstick during the contest, he did drive Charlie through a table with his Sidewalk Slam finisher to gain the three count at 9:02. The Big Boss Man successfully retains the WWF Hardcore Title.

Backstage segment - Mr. McMahon's Office

McMahon and his cronies Gerald Brisco and Pat Patterson are piecing together the matches for the upcoming Bad Blood pay-per-view. They unanimously agree to have "Stone Cold" Steve Austin defend the WWF Championship against Kane, and then contemplate an Intercontinental Title Match between the Rock and Hunter Hearst Helmsley when the phone suddenly rings. McMahon's secretary tells him that Paul Heyman is calling. McMahon tables the meeting to take the call. By the gist of the conversation, we get the impression that Heyman is pitching another ECW vs. WWF matchup for the Bad Blood card. The Boss seems to like the idea, but is leery of showcasing another ECW wrestler on his pay-per-view. McMahon starts talking money, but then insists on one additional provision to make the match happen, "I want the name of the rat who contacted you behind my back that led to all those ECW run-ins."

Gangrel was the underdog in this one right from the onset. The Vampire Warrior's pre-match interview with Lilian Garcia backstage was interrupted by the Hardy Boyz to cost him 50 points. To make matters worse, Christian accidentally clobbered Gangrel with a haymaker when Shamrock ducked once the contest had finally gotten under way to decrease his score by another 100 points. Despite all that, Lady Luck was shining on the Brood this evening and she came in the form of one Ryan Shamrock. Ken's little sister came down to ringside with a microphone to stir up some trouble with her hot-headed brother. One of the reasons Shamrock is known as "The World's Most Dangerous Man" is because of his explosive temper which can manifest itself at any given moment. Ryan knows just what buttons to push to get on her brother's bad side and boldly declared that she would be in Taz's corner at Bad Blood. Ken Shamrock immediately blew a gasket and got into a heated confrontation with his little sister OOR. In the meantime, Referee Mike Chioda laid on the ten count. Your winner via Count Out at 6:23 - Gangrel.

Backstage segment - "The People's Referee"

Lilian Garcia interviews the Rock regarding tonight's Main Event pitting Val Venis against the Nation of Domination's D'Lo Brown and featuring the Brahma Bull himself as the Special Guest Referee. Sporting an official's black and white striped shirt, the Rock refers to himself as "The People's Referee" and vows to remain impartial in "The People's Ring". When Lilian presses him about the recent turmoil involving the Nation, the Rock downplays the situation and stresses that there is unity within the ranks. He's far more interested in flirting with the pretty blonde announcer and asks her what she's doing after the show. "The Rock has been told that you like a man in uniform, Lilian. " Garcia doesn't know what to say and tries to stir the interview back on track, but the Most Electrifying Man in Sports is persistent. "You can't keep your eyes off the Rock, can you ? Sweet cream on an ice cream sandwich, girl, look at you gawking at the Rock ! You can't wait to get your hands on the Rock's Whoopi Goldberg." Lilian blushes and looks to the camera man for help as we cut to commercial.

Stipulations: There are no pinfalls, disqualifications, count outs or submissions. The match is won by being the first to exit the cage either through the door or by climbing out.

"Marvelous" Marc Mero has been a thorn in the side of Triple H for quite some time now. Mero wasted no time in getting under Helmsley's skin once again this evening by cutting a scathing promo on the DX member prior to their cage match to earn himself an additional 75 points. Marvelous Marc wasn't done yet, however, and added another 100 points by ambushing his adversary just as Triple H was entering the cage. Helmsley rebounded somewhat by topping the Marvelous One in Cage Modifier points, and also received some timely assistance from Chyna along the way. After catching Triple H with his TKO finisher, Mero appeared as though he would successfully climb out of the cage, but stopped his ascent up the cage to perform a Moonsault off the top rope instead to inflict additional damage. Satisfied that he had sufficiently incapacitated Helmsley enough, Marvelous Marc began to climb again in earnest only to be met by Chyna at the top of the cage. The Ninth Wonder of the World sent him crashing back down to the canvas with a couple of vicious forearms to the head. Both wrestlers were now flat on their backs in the middle of the ring. Helmsley managed to get to his feet just before Mero, drove him into the mat with a Pedigree and then exited via the cage door to victory at 10:17. The win may have come at a costly price, though. Triple H appeared to have suffered a knee injury during the match and had to be assisted to the back by Chyna afterward.

The big question on everyone's mind was if the Rock would play any favorites while officiating this contest. (During last week's episode of RAW, both D'Lo Brown and Mark Henry helped Faarooq defeat the Rock in a non-title Intercontinental Match.) Both grapplers were awarded bonus points by the fans - Venis for a lecherous promo that featured several sexual innuendos and Brown for his thunderous "We are the Nation of Domination !" entrance. To his credit, the Rock called this one straight down the middle, folks, and strictly enforced the WWF rulebook. He could not be faulted for the controversy that would spoil the ending of what turned out to be a fairly even and highly competitive match. While the Rock was admonishing Mark Henry for attempting to interfere, Ken Shamrock raced down the aisle and tossed a Kendo Stick into the hands of a startled D'Lo Brown who immediately whacked Venis from behind with it. The Rock turned around to find Brown making the cover on his dazed opponent and counted the pin at 10:22. Ryan Shamrock vehemently protested the outcome and then threw a tantrum in the ring when the Rock refused to reverse his decision.

Backstage segment - Mr. McMahon's Office

McMahon has just returned from a consultation with the ringside physician regarding Hunter Hearst Helmsley's condition and shares the findings with Gerald Brisco and Pat Patterson. The doctor has diagnosed Triple H with a hyperextended knee. Helmsley's knee is on ice and he is expected to be out-of-action for a month. "So much for the Intercontinental Title Match at Bad Blood," Patterson laments. "Not necessarily," McMahon smiles. We can see that the wheels are turning in his mind. "The Rock will defend his belt at Bad Blood alright ...... not against Helmsley, but against Faarooq. And the loser is out of the Nation of Domination."

Kevin Kelly is interviewing Test regarding tonight's opening contest when Big Trouble (Big Show & the Big Boss Man) suddenly barge in. The Big Show wants some air time with Kelly to discuss his upcoming "Buried Alive" Match against the Undertaker at the Bad Blood pay-per-view. Test does not take kindly to the interruption and confronts him. A tense standoff ensues with both men standing toe-to-toe. Tony Chimel begins to make the introductions for the first match prompting Test to leave and head for ringside. "Can you believe the nerve of this kid ?" Big Show remarks to the Boss Man, "I put him through a table on RAW a couple of weeks ago and he still wants a piece of me." "It sounds like someone hasn't learned their lesson yet, " the Boss Man responds. "Maybe Test needs to do some hard time ?" the Big Show suggests. The Boss Man smiles and nods.

1. Test vs. Tom Brandi

Despite being a newcomer to the WWF, Brandi (aka Salvatore Sincere) was well received by the crowd as was his opponent Test. The warm welcome boosted both men's respective totals, but Test also tacked on an additional 25 points for rolling on his Size Modifier. Brandi jumped off to a fast start in the contest but found himself in a heap of trouble after sustaining a Gutwrench Powerbomb. Test quickly followed with a Diving Elbow Drop from the top rope and went for a cover, however Referee Tim White had been spilled to the canvas and was unable to count the pin. The Big Boss Man then snuck into the ring and clobbered Test from behind with his nightstick. The former prison guard then dragged Brandi on top of Test and skedaddled. White finally shook out the cobwebs and crawled over to make the three count to give Brandi the upset victory at 4:56.

Backstage Segment - Locker Room

Skull & 8-Ball from the Disciples of the Apocalypse biker gang come across "Lethal Weapon" Steve Blackman's duffel bag of martial arts weapons in the locker room. They start rummaging through it and then dump the contents out on the floor just as Blackman walks in on them. "Are you boys looking for something ?" the Lethal Weapon asks. "This is the WWF, Karate Kid, not the UFC," Skull answers, 'Why don't you take your toys to MMA where you belong ?" Blackman starts putting his gear back inside the duffel bag, but holds onto one specific item. He cracks both members of D.O.A. with his nunchucks. 8-Ball & Skull beat a hasty retreat. "There's more where that came from !" the Lethal Weapon shouts after them, "Keep your noses out of my business !"

As a result of Blackman's pre-match nunchuck smash, 8-Ball had 200 points deducted from his score to put him in a huge hole. To make matters worse, Blackman's glow-in-the-dark Filipino Fighting Sticks entrance went over big time with the fans. They awarded the Lethal Weapon with an additional 75 points to help make him the heavy favorite to win this bout. The saving grace for 8-Ball was having his identical twin Skull with him at ringside. The two brothers pulled the ol' switcheroo behind Referee Jack Doan's back on several occassions despite Blackman's protests to the contrary. Not to be left out, "Precious" Paul Ellering got in on the mischief by drawing Doan into a heated argument which allowed Skull & 8-Ball to combine for a Double DDT in the ring on the Lethal Weapon. The official then turned around to find 8-Ball (or was it Skull ??) making the cover and counted the pin at 6:14.

"No chance in hell" theme music brings Mr. McMahon down to the ring with his corporate stooges Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco. McMahon starts plugging the Bad Blood pay-per-view and says that he's pleased to announce that two additional matches have been added to the card. The first is a "Hell In A Cell" Match pitting the WWF's Mankind against ECW's Sabu . The fans roar over this revelation ! The second match features none other than Mr. McMahon himself which quickly turns the crowd's cheers into boos. McMahon calls out the Jackyl who emerges from behind the curtain and steps out onto the ramp. The CEO explains that he now knows the full extent of the Jackyl's treachery and dubious dealings with ECW's Paul Heyman in an attempt to overthrow him and take control of the WWF. "You want to run the show, Mr. Jackyl ? You think you have what it takes to be in charge ?" McMahon challenges, "Well, it's very simple then. All you have to do is beat me in a match at Bad Blood ..... a "First Blood" Match, that is .......... If you can beat me, then I'll turn over the reigns of the company to you ....... but if I beat you, then .............. it will be my distinct pleasure to tell you that "YOU'RE FIRED !" The Jackyl responds with a "You're on, McMahon !" but the look on his face clearly suggests that he's worried as he returns to the back.

Although Jerry "The King" Lawler denies any and all allegations that he is kin to Brian Christopher, he has clearly taken a keen interest in the young man's career here in the WWF. One thing is certain, however; Lawler does not think much of Scotty Too Hotty and believes that Taylor is holding Too Sexy back. The King would like nothing more than to see Christopher dismantle Too Much and fly solo. That might, perhaps. offer a valid explanation as to why Lawler would toss a chair into the ring for Albert to use on Taylor during tonight's tag team contest. Whatever his intentions were, the King's plan ultimately went awry when Scotty Drop Kicked the chair into Albert's face just as the Prince was charging toward him with it. Taylor hooked a leg and scored the pinfall at 7:21 much to Lawler's dismay.

Backstage Segment - Mr. McMahon's Office

McMahon tells Pat Patterson to have the contract drawn up for his "First Blood" Match with the Jackyl. They then discuss the list of matches for the pay-per-view with Gerald Brisco. All three men unanimously agree that they need one more match to complete the card. Hunter Hearst Helmsley suddenly bursts in hobbling on crutches due to his hyperextended knee injury. He's furious that he's been replaced by Faarooq as the Rock's challenger for the Intercontinental Championship at Bad Blood. "That's my spot and you know it !" he shouts, "I earned that title shot !" McMahon claims that Helmsley would have been the challenger had he not been injured. "I'll be ready to go !" Triple H insists, "Not only can I beat the Crock on one leg, but I can beat that clown with one hand tied behind my back !" McMahon tries to reason with him. He says that Faarooq also deserves the opportunity because he defeated the Rock in a non-title match on RAW. "Besides, we need you to be ready for the Royal Rumble come February," the Boss declares. Helmsley is indignant and storms out in a huff.

Regal brought a sledge hammer to the ring with him along with his undefeated streak. Both the tool, and previous wins over the likes of X-Pac and Droz among others, proved that he was not to be taken lightly. Determined to demonstrate to us all once more that he is indeed "A Real Man's Man", Regal ran a video before the match. The rather humorous footage showed him using a jackhammer in the street at an undisclosed construction site location. By the looks of it, Regal fared far worse than the pavement that he was attempting to break up. Nevertheless, he earned 75 points for the entertaining skit. Regal also introduced Edge's ribs to the butt end of his sledge hammer before the bell to reduce his opponent's score by 100 points. Unfortunately for the Real Man's Man, the weapon would come back to haunt him. Christian stole the tool from Regal's corner and gave it to Edge while Gangrel distracted Referee Tim White. An undetected smash with the sledge hammer allowed Edge to score the three count at 5:05 and end Regal's undefeated streak.

Bad Blood Promo - Dark Cemetery

We see someone in a grave shoveling dirt out onto the grass surrounding the hole. The Undertaker climbs out, rams the shovel into the pile of earth and dusts himself off. He picks up a cement tombstone and labors to position it at the head of the grave. The Deadman then turns and walks off into the darkness. The camera zooms in for a close-up of the tombstone which reads "Big Show - Rest in Peace".

The Nation of Domination is busting apart at the seams as a result of the feud between Faarooq and the Rock. The stable has essentially split into two factions with Henry and Brown supporting Faarooq while the Godfather has taken sides with the Rock. Both groups claim to be the "real" Nation of Domination and proceeded to cut separate promos before this match stating as much. As far as the match went, D'Lo Brown's interference made all the difference tonight, but not in the way that Mark Henry had hoped for or expected . Early in the action, D'Lo decked the Strongest Man in the World with a haymaker when the Pimp Daddy ducked at the last instant, but the worst was yet to come. Brown erred again by blinding Henry with a handful of powder that was once again intended for the Godfather. The Pimp Daddy capitalized on the miscue by rolling his opponent up for the winning pinfall at 6:20.

In Ring Promo - Triple H

Hunter Hearst Helmsley's right knee may not be functioning too well these days, but his mouth is working just fine. D-Generation X "Are you ready ? Break it down !" theme music brings Triple H ambling down to ringside on his crutches. Chyna is waiting in the ring for him. She holds the ropes open to allow him to enter, takes his crutches and hands him a microphone. And away we go.

Helmsley: "Vince, you can make up any reason or excuse that you want and BS me until you're blue in the face, but we both know that, injury or no injury, I should be wrestling the Crock for the Intercontinental Title at Bad Blood. The problem is that you let yourself get caught up in all this "Nation of Domination" dissension crap. That's not "Bad Blood", Vince, that's Bad Business. Nobody cares who's in the Nation of Domination or who's getting kicked out of the Nation of Domination, okay, and nobody wants to see Faarooq wrestling the Crock for the Intercontinental Championship when they could be, and should be, seeing me instead so suck on that.

Next item of business - "Marvelous" Marc Mero, is telling the boys in the back that he put me on the shelf with this knee injury from our Cage Match on RAW last week. Well, you see, Johnny B.-Not-So-Badd, that just ain't so. The truth of the matter is that I injured the knee a month ago, but I'll get to that in a minute. So, what I'm saying, Mero, is basically that I wrestled the Cage Match on one leg ..... and beat you .... just so you know, okay ? Now why don't you go tell the boys in the back THAT instead ?

Back to the knee injury. For those of you who really want to know, Owen Hart injured my knee. Do you have that footage ? Then roll it."

(Everyone looks up at the jumbo Titantron Screen along with Helmsley. We see highlights of his match with Owen Hart on RAW. Triple H tells the production room to "Stop it there !" when he becomes caught in Owen's Sharpshooter.)

That's when it happened. Right there. I can't prove it, but I believe that Owen Hart intentionally meant to injure me, and as much as I'd love to return the favor, Owen, I'm gonna wait until I'm 100% so that I can do it properly. But in the meantime, I have someone else in mind who wants to wrestle you. You see, it's times like these when you call on your friends, and it's times like these that you call upon the Kliq.

(With that, X-Pac's music hits and he comes down the ramp to join Chyna and Helmsley in the ring. He and Helmsley give each other the Kliq finger sign. X-Pac then takes the mic and goes off on Owen and the whole Hart family. He says that the Harts have always been unfairly pushed in the WWF by the "powers to be" when his rant is suddenly interrupted. The fans cheer as Owen Hart comes out on the ramp with a microphone of his own.

Owen: "First of all, if I injured your knee, Helmsley, then it was unintentional. That's the nature of the business, and that's the risk that you and I both take every time we step inside the ring. Be that as it may, it doesn't surprise me one bit that you would look for someone else to fight your battles for you, though, which brings me to X-Punk. My brother Bret and I earned everything that we've ever gotten here in the WWF through hard work, determination and dedication to our profession. Nothing was handed to us on a silver platter. And I'd be more than happy to prove that to you or Helmsley in the ring any time !"

Hart starts to make his way down the ramp as X-Pac eggs him on until "No chance in hell" brings out Mr. McMahon again.

Mr. McMahon: "Hold it right there, Owen. You'll get your chance to face X-Pac, but..... at Bad Blood...... and thank you both, by the way, for helping me to come up with the final match for the card. You deserve some credit as well, Helmsley, and I'm going to show you my gratitude by allowing you to face the winner of the Rock/Farooq match for the Intercontinental Championship at the Royal Rumble in February. That is ...... assuming that you're fit to wrestle by then."

6. "The Phenom" Undertaker vs. Vader

Vader racked up 50 bonus points for a good backstage interview with Kevin Kelly prior to tonight's Main Event, but they were trumped by the 'Taker's trademark ghoulish entrance which earned the Deadman 75 points of his own. The 450 pounder from the Rocky Mountains then boosted his total by another 250 points with a fortunate roll on his Size Modifier but it all went for naught. Outside Interference would once again play a huge factor in determining the winner of the contest. Big Trouble (Big Show & the Big Boss Man) came down to ringside to stir up some trouble for the Undertaker. Big Show attempted to whack the Deadman with a shovel while the Boss Man distracted Referee Jim Korderas but ended up clobbering Vader with it by accident instead. The official turned around to find the 'Taker covering his KO'd opponent and made the three count at 11:31.

Bad Blood Promo -

"Bad Blood" pay-per-view spectacular live from the Kiel Center, St. Louis, MO

Jim Cornette did what he does best and that is to run his mouth. The manager of the New Midnight Express did all the talking for "Bodacious" Bart Gunn and he did it well enough to earn his man an extra 50 points to work with against Al Snow in tonight's opening contest. On the flip side, Snow had barely begun his promo when he was interrupted by an old nemesis. "A Real Man's Man" Steven Regal, whom Snow lost a Hardcore Match to several weeks ago on RAW, wandered onto the set and reminded Al of his victory during their encounter. The Real Man's Man wasn't done playing his mind games just yet. He also said that he had "an unpleasant surprise" for his adversary and that Snow would understand "soon enough" as to what it was. Regal's shenanigans cost Al 50 points this evening.

Snow's "What does everybody want ?" intro brought the fans to their feet, but if failed to bring Al to the ring. The fans chanted "We want Head !" We want Head !" until a frantic and flustered Snow finally emerged from behind the curtain without his famous mannequin noggin. Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler immediately speculated as to what had happened to it. One thing was certain, Snow was out of sorts and clearly preoccupied by Head's mysterious disappearance. In the meantime, Gunn capitalized on his confounded counterpart's misfortune and controlled the bout from the onset. Alas, the solution to the riddle was provided when Steven Regal walked down to ringside with "Head" in hand and returned his contraband to Snow by walloping him in the jaw with it. Referee Mike Sparks, who had been engaged in a heated argument with Jim Cornette just moments previous, turned around to find Bodacious Bart making the cover on his KO'd opponent and counted the pin at 6:26. After the bell, Snow shook out the cobwebs, realigned his jaw and rejoiced to find his beloved missing mannequin head lying in the ring looking none the worse for wear.

Backstage Segment - "ECW Contract Signing"

Taz, Sabu and the Dudley Boyz (Buh Buh Ray & D-Von Dudley) are signing their contracts to participate in the Bad Blood pay-per-view next week. Paul Heyman gives them a pep talk and reminds them that they are not only representing their federation in general, but that they're also fighting for each and every wrestler in the ECW locker room. Heyman pauses thoughtfully and adds that they should consider it an honor to have been chosen to be in this event and that they may, in effect, be auditioning for Vince McMahon to earn a possible spot on the WWF roster somewhere down the road. The wrestlers look at one another as if the thought had never occurred to them before. Heyman points out that Cactus Jack, Chainsaw Charlie, Al Snow, Scorpio and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin among others had all been in ECW before going to the WWF. Sabu shakes his head and says, "Never !" Heyman pats him on the back and says, "Never say never, Terry."

Sunny grabbed the spotlight (and apparently Mr. McMahon's eye) by wearing a skimpy outfit that barely covered anything at all. The smitten CEO declared that she would be the Guest Referee for the WWF Tag Team Title Match pitting Southern Justice against the Headbangers at the Bad Blood pay-per-view if L.O.D. 2000 were successful in defeated the New Blackjacks here tonight. Southern Justice's manager Tennessee Lee didn't like the sound of that one bit and plotted with his tag team backstage on how to foil McMahon's plan. Their scheme would ultimately come to fruition once Referee Chad Patton had been spilled to the canvas. Mark Canterbury and Dennis Knight raced down the aisle, flattened Animal with a chair shot and then laid out Hawk with a double team Problem Solver (the old Godwinn Inverted DDT Slop Drop). Patton recovered to find Bradshaw making the cover on Hawk and counted the pin at 7:22. Mr. McMahon had his heart set on seeing Sunny at Bad Blood. Needless to say, he was not pleased with the outcome of this contest.

Ringside Segment - "Sibling Rivalry"

Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler take a pause from the action to hype the upcoming Bad Blood pay-per-view. JR says it's altogether fitting and appropriate for this event to be called "Bad Blood" because each and every match on the card is fueled by it. They focus on the Ken Shamrock/Taz contest in particular. JR reminds us that Shamrock's little sister Ryan has stated that she will be in Taz's corner and will no doubt do anything within her power to see to it that her brother loses. The King says that the Shamrocks are the most dysfunctional family in the WWF. He says that Ryan and Ken make a normal sibling rivalry look like "a walk in the park" compared to the animosity that they hold for one another. JR expounds upon the conflict between them. He tells us how Ryan followed Ken into the wrestling business against his wishes and became the valet for former porn star Val Venis just to spite her big brother. Lawler and JR then discuss the feud between Val Venis and Ken Shamrock which culminated in a "I Quit" Match at the Judgment Day pay-per-view. They end the discussion by speculating as to what impact Ryan's presence at Bad Blood will have upon the outcome of her brother's match.

3. Duane Gill vs. Mr. McMahon ??

Perhaps looking to blow off some steam after L.O.D. 2000's loss in the previous match, an irate Mr. McMahon told his corporate cronies Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco to find "the toughest man in wrestling" to face him this evening as a "tune up" for his First Blood Match against the Jackyl at Bad Blood. One could imagine his surprise when the Boss found Duane Gill standing across the ring from him in the opposite corner. "I told them Goldberg !" Patterson insisted, "But they must have thought that I had said Gillberg instead ?" (Of course, Patterson knew exactly what he was doing and hoped to boost the CEO's confidence by letting him maul the hapless Gill instead). Ah, "the best laid plans of mice and men" .... Gillberg proved to be anything but a pushover and gave the Boss all he could handle instead. He even defied Mr. McMahon's direct order and refused to "take a dive" and lie down for the three count. Patterson and Brisco had to come up with something quick to right the ship. A double Low Blow OOR from the two stooges was good enough to cause Gill to be counted out at 6:34 and give McMahon the victory.

Backstage Segment - "Bite the Bullet"

The Jackyl discusses his First Blood Match against Vince McMahon at Bad Blood with his Truth Commission stable of Recon, Sniper and Kurrgan the Interrogator. Sniper tries to reason with him and says, "You can't go through with this. There's got to be another way, boss !" The Jackyl shakes his head and answers, "This will work. It's extreme, but it'll work. You've got to trust me." He nods to Kurrgan and then bites down hard on a rolled up towel. "I can't do it," the Interrogator says. The Jackyl grabs the towel from his mouth and shouts, "I said do it, dammit !!" Kurrgan relents and waits for he Jackyl to bite down on the towel again. The Interrogator lifts a hammer over his head and then bring it down hard. We then hear a muffled groan of pain and agony.

The Boss Man's Hardcore Title is not on the line. Mr. McMahon was feeling his oats tonight ! The CEO once again asserted himself by coming out at the last minute and changing the stipulations of this contest to that of a Table Match. That being said, there are no pinfalls, disqualifications, count outs or submissions. The match is simply won by being the first to put your opponent through a table. The amendment seemed to play right into the Boss Man's hands. (Perhaps it was designed to. The former prison guard is, after all, McMahon's personal bodyguard.) Bolstered by 50 Table Modifier points, the Boss Man was a heavy favorite to win this one, but Test had other ideas. No doubt looking for a little revenge after the Boss Man cost him a loss against Tom Brandi with a nightstick smash on Sunday Night Heat last week, Test jumped the Hardcore Champ from behind during The Boss Man's ring entrance to inflict 200 points worth of damage. More importantly, he dazed his adversary with a trash can smash during the match after Referee Mike Sparks had been bumped to the canvas. Chainz (aka Brian Lee) capitalized on the outside interference by grabbing his woozy opponent by the throat and Chokeslamming him through a table for the victory at 9:27.

Sable Playboy Promo

Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler hawk the latest issue of Playboy which features WWF diva Sable. The King has a copy of the magazine at the announcers' table. He starts flipping through the pages and oogling at the photos. JR tries to hold it up so that the folks at home can get a look at the cover, but Lawler grabs it out of his hands. "This is my copy, JR ! Go get your own !" The promo ends with a close-up of the cover and the caption "On sale now at news stands everywhere!"

Chyna has proven to be nearly unbeatable in one-on-one competition, however tonight's title defense is a completely different animal. How will she fare with having to face three opponent's at once ? And, keep in mind, she can lose the championship without even being pinned or submitting ! Things got off to a bang when Ivory was eliminated before the match even officially began. She was jumped from behind during her entrance by a previously unknown female assailant who then camped herself out in Sable's corner. In the blink of an eye, our Fatal Four Way had suddenly become a Triple Threat Championship Match instead. The mystery woman would strike again, literally, and her actions this time would determine the winner of the contest. The ruffian clobbered Luna Vachon with the Ladies Championship Belt enabling Sable to score the winning three count on her at 11:07. Your winner and neeeewwwwwwwwwwww WWF Ladies Champion - Sable !

In a post-match interview with Michael Cole, a very ungracious and condescending Sable revealed the identity of the brute in her corner to be that of her personal "enforcer" Nicole Bass. When asked why she felt that she needed to have Bass with her, Sable responded that the additional security was warranted and necessary due to the celebrity status she has gained from her nude pictorial in the recent issue of Playboy. Sable also took the opportunity to inform any would-be-autograph seekers that she would be charging $10 per signature going forward.

Jarrett took exception to Chainsaw Charlie's presence at ringside and demanded that Referee Jim Korderas order him to return to the back after the match introductions. The official declined, stating that if Charlie had to leave, then Tennessee Lee would have to go as well. Nevertheless, a precedent had been set. The annoying Jarrett continued to argue and protest every trivial facet of the match with Korderas. Given the outcome of the bout, one can't help but wonder if it was all an elaborate setup. Tennessee Lee used one such verbal confrontation to sneak into the ring and clobber Cactus with a guitar smash leading to a Jarrett pinfall at 7:29.

Backstage Segment - "Injury Update"

Michael Cole disclosed that Ivory had suffered bruised ribs as a result of the attack by Nicole Bass during her entrance for the Fatal Four Way Ladies Championship Match earlier this evening. He added that Ivory was expected to be sidelined for two weeks. Cole also provided and update on Hunter Hearst Helmsley's hyperextended knee injury and said that he was responding well to treatment. Helmsley is on crutches and is expected to return in time for the Royal Rumble in February. Triple H claims that the injury was intentionally caused by Owen Hart and his Sharpshooter; an accusation that Hart emphatically denies.

Judging by the crowd reaction, it soon became obvious as to which half of the Nation of Domination the fans were siding with. Faarooq, Brown and Henry were soundly boo'd during their entrance. Not withstanding, the trio seemed to bask in their heel status and gladly accepted the 125 bonus points that were added to Faarooq and D'Lo's score. Prior to the match, the Rock & Godfather cut a colorful and humerous promo along with the Pimp Daddy's ladies of the evening to increase their total by 50 points and carried the good vibe onto victory. The Rock pinned D'Lo with the People's Elbow at 8:45 much to the delight of the fans. After the bell, the Godfather and Brahma Bull celebrated their win by dancing in the ring with the Pimp Daddy's gals. This match was a prelude to Rock and Faarooq's Intercontinental Title Match showdown at Bad Blood.

Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler promote the Bad Blood pay-per-view one final time -

"Bad Blood" pay-per-view spectacular live from the Kiel Center, St. Louis, MO

"No chance in hell !" theme music brings Vince McMahon down to ringside with a microphone along with his corporate cronies Gerald Brisco and Pat Patterson to a loud chorus of boos ! McMahon waits for the crowd to settle down.

Mr. McMahon: "Although it's against my better judgment, St. Louis, allow me to be your gracious host this evening and welcome you all to my Bad Blood Pay-Per-View. They say that Missouri is the 'Show Me' state. Well, we intend to do just that. As you know, there is a series of matches tonight pitting some of the WWF's top talent against some of ECW's. We intend to show you...... and Paul Heyman....... that we're better than they are.... and that the WWF is the greatest wrestling promotion in the world today. On a more personal level, yours truly is also on the card this evening. I'll be facing the Jackyl in a First Blood Match for control of this very company.... and rest assured, there is 'no chance in hell' that he will beat me. I intend to show him, and all of you, exactly why Vince McMahon is the Boss. And so without any further ado, let's get to our first match for the WWF Tag Team Championship, and our Senior Official Earl Hebner will referee it. Earl, in all due respect, you were not my first choice. You see, I had someone else in mind, and I think that I speak for all the men here in attendance when I say, that I would have preferred to watch Sunny officiate this contest rather than Earl Hebner."

Jim Ross: "It would appear as though Mr. McMahon is a bit smitten with Sunny, King."

Jerry Lawler: "That goes for me, too, JR ! I can never get enough of Sunny !"

Jim Ross: "I'm sure that she had a very special referee's uniform all picked out just for the occasion."

Jerry Lawler: "Yeah, and I'll bet that it was a pretty skimpy one, too !"

Mr. McMahon: "But, as you all know, Tennessee Lee and Southern Justice saw to it to deprive us all of that special treat."

(McMahon takes a long pause and casts his eyes sideways toward the ramp with an obvious glare of disappointment.)

Jerry Lawler: "Uh-oh ! Did you see that look on Mr. McMahon's face, JR ? The Boss isn't happy, and that's never a good thing !"

JR: "It's an ominous sign to be sure, King. If I were Tennessee Lee and Southern Justice, I'd be concerned right about now !"

Mr. McMahon: "Be that as it may, I'll turn the microphone over to Howard Finkel now for the match introductions."

Mr. McMahon's reprimand translated into a loss of 75 points for Southern Justice. Their response was to interrupt the Headbanger's backstage interview with Michael Cole to cost the champions 50 points of their own. The match modifiers were a wash with both teams rolling 50 points worth of Cheating. As a result, McMahon's "referee-by-default" as it were Earl Hebner had his hands full enforcing the rules. The Senior Official had just cause for disqualifying both teams for their tactics along the way, but exercised a great deal of leeway to allow the match to continue. Hebner's patience was pushed to the brink, though, when Mr. McMahon's personal body guard the Big Boss Man was dispatched to ringside. Tennessee Lee demanded that the former prison guard be ordered to return to the back. As Lee and Hebner argued over the request, the Boss Man clubbed Dennis Knight from behind with his nightstick while all four competitors battled OOR. The blow subsequently caused Knight to be counted out and gave the Headbangers the victory at 8:11. The Headbangers successfully retain the WWF Tag Team Titles.

In Ring Promo - "Escape Clause"

The Jackyl is accompanied to the ring by Recon & Sniper from his Truth Commission stable. Judging by his appearance - a snappy suit and, in particular, a large cast on his left forearm, the shady manager did not come to the Kiel Center to wrestle Mr. McMahon or anyone else tonight. Sure enough, the Jackyl affirms our suspicions by informing us that he had sustained a broken arm and will not be able to participate in the First Blood Match against McMahon later this evening. Before he can continue, "No chance in hell" booms over the PA system. Mr. McMahon storms down to the ring with his associates Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco struggling to keep pace.

McMahon: "Broken arm, my ass ! I always knew that you were a coward, Jackyl, but I didn't think you would make it so damn obvious to everyone !"

Jackyl: "I knew that you wouldn't believe me, Vince, so I've taken the liberty of inviting the company's orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews from Birmingham, Alabama to be with us here tonight via the Titantron.

Dr. Andrews appears on the jumbo Titantron screen along with an x-ray of the Jackyl's forearm and points out that the ulna is indeed fractured. Andrews confirms that he signed off on the injury and has sent a detailed report along with the x-rays to the WWF's corporate headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut. McMahon scowls and paces in the ring a bit as the Titantron goes black again.

McMahon: "Alright then, I guess you'll just have to forfeit our match. Should I fire you right now, or wait until you 'no show' the First Blood Match and then fire you ??"

The Jackyl pulls out the contract for the match and starts flipping through the pages until he finds what he's looking for.

Jackyl: "According to the wording, I have the right to hire a surrogate in the event that I am unable to perform."

The CEO and his cronies all have themselves a good laugh until the Jackyl points to a clause in the fine print and hands the document over to McMahon. The Boss doesn't even look at the paperwork and gives it to Pat Patterson. He glares at the Jackyl and tells Patterson to call his lawyers.

McMahon: "We'll see about that."

Brisco and Patterson hold the ropes for Mr. McMahon to exit the ring.

Jackyl: "Before you leave, don't you want to know who've I chosen to be my replacement ?"

McMahon stops in his tracks. Brisco and Patterson try to assure him that all the big names from the roster are already involved in other matches tonight. The Boss breathes a sigh of relief and plays along with the Jackyl.

McMahon: "Amuse me."

Jackyl: "Amuse you ? Well, okay then..... but I don't think you're going to find it too funny that you'll be facing Shawn Michaels instead of me in the First Blood Match."

McMahon's jaw drops. He gives a big gulp as HBK's DX music blares over the PA system. The fans go wild as Shawn Michaels struts out onto the ramp. HBK smiles at McMahon and does a crotch chop !

Michaels: "See you later, alligator !"

McMahon storms out of the ring and barks at Patterson to get his lawyers on the phone.

The dysfunctional Shamrock family feud manifested itself once more with Ken's little sister Ryan accompanying Taz to ringside and camping out in his corner. What impact would she have on the contest ? As it turned out, a pretty significant one ! Despite being occasionally preoccupied with his sister's presence at ringside, Shamrock was able to focus enough on the task at hand and matched his adversary hold-for-hold. The stalemate took a turn in Taz's favor, however, once Ken and Ryan began to bicker. The Tazmaniac pulled a hidden foreign object from his tights and whalloped his opponent from behind with it. Ken was barely able to kick out of the subsequent pin attempt allowing the match to continue. A funny thing happened soon after, though. Ryan seemed to take exception to Taz's cheating in order to win the match, and coyly reached into the ring and tripped him. Taz immediately bailed from the ring to confront her and gave Ryan a hard shove to the ground prompting Ken to come to her defense. Shamrock immediately spun the Tazmaniac around and planted him with a Belly-to-Belly Suplex on the floor. "Don't you ever lay a finger on my sister again !" he shouted. Despite losing his temper, Ken still had the presence of mind to roll himself back inside the ring in time to barely make Referee Teddy Long's ten count. Your winner via count out at 9:17 - Ken Shamrock. After the bout, Ken assisted his jolted sister to the back.

Backstage Segment - "Blood Is Thicker than Water"

Ken is genuinely concerned about Ryan's condition and wants the ringside physician to check her over. She says that she's a little shook up, but assures him that she's okay. An awkward silence follows. Ryan then thanks her big brother and gives him a long hug. Ken hugs her back and asks her again if she's alright. Ryan nods her head. The two then go their separate ways. There finally appears to be a truce in the Shamrock sibling rivalry.... at least for now anyways.

Ironically enough, Goldust began his title defense with a scathing promo on his former valet Terri Runnels (then known as Marlena) rather than belittling his challenger Dan Severn of whom he claimed to have a great deal of respect for. The harsh words which came at Terri's expense gave the champ an additional 50 points to work with. Goldust then tried to attack his opponent during Howard Finkel's match introductions, but Severn was ready for him. The challenger successfully staved off the ambush to earn himself 100 points in the process. Undeterred, Goldust's points total got another boost by a roll on his Savvy Match Modifier, an intangible which would prove to serve him well in this contest. Goldust manipulated Referee Tim White out of position in order to use the ropes to his advantage for additional leverage, but the chicanery failed to produce a pinfall. Karma would come back to haunt the champ once the action moved OOR. Still seething from Goldust's pre-match slander, Runnels snuck up from behind and delivered a low blow between the wickets on the champ. Unable to recover in time from Terri's retaliation, Goldust found himself counted out by Tim White at 7:04. While Beauty's call to action may have given the Beast a victory, it also enabled Goldust to retain the WWF European Title.

RAW Rewind

Highlights from last week's RAW program are shown featuring an in-ring promo from Triple H regarding the nature of his hyperextended knee injury. Helmsley flat-out blamed Owen Hart for the impairment during his rant and blatantly accused Hart of intentionally trying to maim him and end his career with his Sharpshooter finisher. We're then shown a clip of Hart applying the submission hold to Triple H during a RAW match from the On Center a month ago in Syracuse, New York. Helmsley insisted that his injury originated there, and proceeded to bring out his personal friend and fellow D-Generation member X-Pac to avenge Hart's misdeed while he recuperated. X-Pac not only lambasted Owen, but the entire Hart family in general. He went so far as to suggest that both Owen and brother Bret's success in the WWF was a result of nothing more than favoritism within the company's front office. The wild accusations then brought out Owen Hart to defend both he and his family's honor. While he didn't question the extent of Helmsley's injury, Owen denied any intent of purposely trying to harm anyone and gladly accepted the challenge of facing Helmsley or any other member of D-Generation X in the ring, all of which brings us to......

4. Owen Hart vs. X-Pac of D-Generation X (w/ Hunter Hearst Helmsley)

Triple H cut another huge promo on Owen before the match to bolster X-Pac's score by 125 points and then stuck around to take in the bout once the action got underway. Helmsley's presence at ringside would literally be felt by Hart throughout the contest. Again and again, Owen would catch the butt end of Helmsley's crutch in the ribs or the small of the back whenever Referee Jack Doan's attention was diverted. Taking brother Owen's "Enough is enough !" catchphrase to heart, Bret "The Hitman" Hart shocked everyone by emerging from the back and racing down the aisle in street clothes to lay out Triple H with a Clothesline. The Hitman then smashed one of Helmsley's crutches over X-Pac's back while Jack Doan was shaking off a bump that he taken moments earlier in the ring. The official found Owen making the cover on his dazed opponent and crawled over to count the winning pin at 9:36.

Backstage Segment - "Traitors in Our Midst"

The Dudley Boyz are in the locker room prepping for their upcoming match against the New Age Outlaws. Recalling some words of advice from Paul Heyman during the contract signing for Bad Blood, Buh Buh and D-Von seem determined to make a favorable impression upon Mr. McMahon tonight. With their ECW contracts expiring soon, the duo are hoping to generate some interest from McMahon and possibly jump ship to the WWF. Sabu, who is scheduled to face Mankind in a Hell in the Cell match later this evening, is lurking in the background and eavesdropping on their conversation. Buh Buh says that if nothing else, a counter-offer from McMahon would give the Dudley Boyz leverage to negotiate a bigger contract with Heyman. Sabu, who is loyal to to the core of ECW, bristles at what he is overhearing. Unable to keep quiet any longer, he finally speaks up. "I can't believe that you two would sell us out to line your pockets ! I thought that we were all brothers.... I thought that I knew you..... but as it turns out, I don't know you at all, do I ? Well, I don't want to know you !" "Hey, it's not like that !" Buh Buh answers, "You've got to think about your future ! ECW's not going to be around forever ! We all knew that when we signed on." Sabu doesn't want to hear it. He shakes his head in disgust and walks out on them.

The Dogg's famous howl brought the fans to their feet and the Outlaws down to the ring. His t-shirt tonight says "Look Ma, No Curse !" which is undoubtedly a swipe at WCW for jobbing out his older brothers Scott, Brad and Steve on Nitro week after week and using their losing streak as a story line by referring to it as "The Armstrong Curse".

Road Dogg: (In full carnival barker mode) "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages ......... D-Generation X proudly brings to you its soon-to-be WWF Tag Team Champions of the Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooorld......... The Road Dogg Jesse James ! The "Bad Ass" Billy Gunn ! The New Age Outlaws !!"

Billy Gunn: "Now, if you're not down with that, St. Louis, then we've got two words for ya ......."

Crowd: "Suck it !!"

The ECW Tag Team Champion Dudley Boyz came out next proudly wearing their belts to the ring to make an impression on both the fans and Mr. McMahon. Their titles are not on the line tonight. The outcome of this match was largely influenced by the large swing in points resulting from the rolls on both teams respective match modifiers. Though they may be babyfaces tonight, the Outlaws did not alter their style nor approach in the ring one iota and racked up some serious points by cheating. On the flip side, the Dudleyz were victimized by Ally Interference; as in, their own Ally Interference ! The term "Bad Blood" took on a whole new meaning to Sabu after his confrontation with the Dudley Boyz backstage. He ran into the ring and whalloped Buh Buh in the face with one of the ECW tag team title belts while Referee Mike Chioda was busy sending Billy Gunn and D-Von Dudley back to their respective corners. Chioda turned around to find Road Dogg making the cover on the KO'd Buh Buh and counted the pin at 7:19.

In Ring Promo - "The Surrogate"

"Are you ready ? Break it down !" DX theme music brings Shawn Michaels, Hunter Hearst Helmsley and Chyna down to the ring. Chyna takes Helmsley's crutches and hands him a microphone. Triple H has two copies of the contract for the First Blood Match. He hands one to HBK who pulls out some pop-bottle nerdy glasses from his pocket and starts looking through the paperwork.

Helmsley: "Vince, as you're no doubt finding out for yourself right about now, it's all legit; you'll be facing Shawn in the First Blood Match."

The fans cheer !

Helmsley: "If you turn to page 8, fourth paragraph down...."

Michaels interrupts him.

Michaels: "Wait .... where are you ?"

Helmsley peeks over at HBK in those thick specs and laughs.

Helmsley: "Can you even see out of those things ?? We're on page 8, and go down to the fourth paragraph ...."

HBK is still having trouble so Triple H helps him find the section that he is referring to.

Michaels: "Am I the Party of the First Part or the Party of the Second Part"' ?

Helmsley: "Umm, lemme see here .... you're the Party of the Second Part."

Michaels: "Is that good ?"

Helmsley: "Hell yeah that's good, buddy ! The way this thing reads, if you win, you take control of the company, and if you don't, well, then the Jackyl gets fired. You can't lose, Shawn ! You're playing with house money !"

Michaels: "Let's do it then !"

DX leaves the ring so that the cage can begin to be lowered from the rafters. The skit was anything but comical to Mr. McMahon. We cut to his office where he is screaming at his lawyers over the phone. The attorneys are trying to tell him that someone switched the contracts on them and that he signed the wrong one. The Boss refuses to listen, though, and tells them that they were careless and overlooked the fine print. He slams the phone down and starts heading for ringside.

Stipulations: The ring and ringside area are enclosed within a roofed cage. There are no pins, disqualifications, count outs or submissions. The match is won by being the first to make your opponent bleed.

Additional Stipulations: If Michaels wins, then he takes control of the WWF, but if McMahon wins, then the Jackyl is fired.

As he always does, Michaels made a flamboyant entrance complete with DX music, pyrotechnics and plenty of crotch chops for everyone thrown in for good measure. Already a heavy favorite to win the contest, HBK's theatrics increased his already seemingly insurmountable total by yet another 125 points. Mr. McMahon then entered to his familiar "No chance in hell" theme music. The WWF Chairman & CEO was soundly boo'd by the capacity crowd which increased his score by 100 points. With the entrances now complete, the presumptuous Michaels held the cage door open for his boss and welcomed Mr. McMahon inside with a courteous bow. As one might expect, HBK dominated the action, but the point of the match was to draw first blood and it was in that regard that Michaels proved to by unsuccessful. Despite being driven face-first into the cage on several occasions, the dazed CEO emerged unscathed. Fate and Lady Luck would turn their backs on the Heartbreak Kid and conspire against him once Referee Earl Hebner was bumped to the mat. The Truth Commission's Recon and Sniper came down to ringside, barged into the cage, and ran Michaels into the ring post which opened a bad gash on HBK's forehead. Hebner finally came to, and upon seeing Michaels bleeding profusley, called for the bell and awarded the match to Mr. McMahon at 12:53.

In Ring Promo - "You're Fired !!"

The fans were still buzzing when Sniper handed Mr. McMahon a microphone. The Boss was looking a little worse for wear after the punishment that he had just sustained, but he was riding an adrenaline high and full of himself having won the contest. He watched Shawn Michaels being escorted to the back by the ringside physician for stitches and gave a mock crotch chop.

McMahon: "Better luck next time, Shawn ! Let me introduce to you all the newest members of my corporate stable, Recon and Sniper. Jackyl, as you've probably guessed, these two gentlemen were sick and tired not only of the Truth Commission, but they were also sick and tired of you ! It wasn't too difficult to find someone on the inside to help take you down. Recon and Sniper will here after be known as Armageddon. You'll never live to see the day when you will outsmart Vincent Kennedy McMahon. And that goes for you, too, D-Generation X. Never ever bet against the House ! And now, Jackyl, if you'll be so kind as to come out and join us please..... I have something that I want to to say to you....."

The Jackyl emerged from behind the curtain and came down to the ring to take his medicine.

The Jackyl nods, glares at Recon and Sniper who wave facetiously goodbye to him, and leaves the ring.

McMahon: "And don't let the door hit you on the way out !"

7. Hell in a Cell Match - Mankind of the WWF vs. Sabu of ECW

Stipulations: The ring and ringside area are enclosed within a roofed cage. There are no disqualifications or count outs. The match is won by pin or submission.

The cage from the First Blood Match remains in place for this Hell in a Cell contest. ECW is 0 - 2 tonight with Sabu being the only remaining obstacle standing in the way of a WWF clean sweep. Knowing that he was a big factor in the Dudley Boyz loss earlier this evening, the "Human Highlight Reel" was determined to put his company in the win column. Though he may have given up some 70 lbs to Mankind in size, Sabu more than equaled him in tenacity and sheer recklessness. This match was every hardcore fan's dream-come-true and made some of ECW most extreme matches seem tame in comparison. Anything and everything that could be found beneath the ring came into play at some point during this contest including aluminum trash cans, a fire extinguisher, fluorescent light tubes, a lead pipe and a janitor's mop and bucket. Sabu scored the winning pinfall with his Arabian Facebuster (Leaping Sommersault Leg Drop from the top rope while driving a steel chair into his opponent's face) after first giving Mankind a Body Slam onto a pile of thumbtacks in the ring. The time of the fall was 15:27.

RAW Rewind

A montage of clips highlighting the internal friction within the ranks of the Nation of Domination are featured. The dissension has essentially divided the stable into two opposing camps with the Godfather supporting the Rock while D'Lo Brown and "The Strongest Man in the World" Mark Henry have cast their lots with Faarooq. The loser of tonight's Intercontinental Title Match will be ousted from the Nation, but will his departure restore harmony within the group ? Michael Cole then shows highlights of Faarooq defeating the Rock in a non-title match and speculates if lightning will strike twice tonight. He brings out the Rock to discuss his title defense this evening.

Rock: "Finally, the Rock has returned to St. Louis ! Michael Cole, the Rock says shut your mouth and know your role ! It doesn't matter what you think about anything, and it doesn't matter what Faarooq has done in the past. What does matter is what happens here tonight. What matters is that the People's Champ is going to walk down the People's Ramp, get in the People's Ring and drop the People's Elbow on Faarooq's roody poo candy ass, that's what matters ! Faarooq, you want to go one-on-one with the Great One ? Well, the Rock has one question for you, what in the blue hell are you thinking ? There ain't nothing that's gonna stop the Most Electrifying Man in Sports from giving you a five-star ass-whoopin' all over the great state of Missouri tonight ! You're going home with the Rock's boot shoved up your ass and that's guarn-damn-teed ! If you smmmmmeeeeeeeellllllllllllllllllllll........... what the Rock..... is cookin' !"

The bitter feud between the rival factions of the Nation of Domination stable came to a head this evening. Faarooq drew big time heat (and 100 bonus heel points) by grabbing Howard Finkel's microphone and accusing the Rock of stealing his "Know your role" catchphrase. He then grabbed the early advantage in the match by jumping the Rock during the match introductions and inflicting 100 points worth of damage. The Brahma Bull soon mounted a comeback by hitting a Floatover DDT after a distraction from the Godfather. Anxious to also get in on the action, Mark Henry drew Referee Tim White's attention enabling D'Lo Brown to climb up to the top rope and land his controversial Chest-Protector-Enhanced Lo Down Frog Splash onto the prone Rock. With the wind completely knocked out of him, the Brahma Bull seemed ripe for a pin. Faarooq immediately pounced on him for a cover and hooked a leg, however Tim White had turned in the nick of time to catch D'Lo in the act and rather than count the pin, signaled for the bell instead. Your winner via DQ at 7:50 and still WWF Intercontinental Champion - the Rock ! Faarooq is out of the Nation of Domination.

Backstage Segment - Mr. McMahon's Office

The Chairman & CEO of the WWF is firing up the Big Show with a spirited pep talk just moments before his upcoming Buried Alive Match against the Undertaker. McMahon offers him some last minute words of advice and then escorts the Big Show to the door. As the Show exits, his Big Trouble tag team partner the Big Boss Man enters. "You wanted to see me, Boss ?" he asks. "Come in .... ," McMahon says, "And shut the door behind you."

9. Buried Alive Match - "The Phenom" Undertaker vs. The Big Show

Stipulations: There is a huge mound of dirt beside the entrance ramp to the ring. A six-foot deep grave has been dug out of the earth. There are no pinfalls, disqualifications, count outs or submissions. The match is won by putting your opponent in the grave and burying them with dirt.

The fans knew something nefarious was afoot when the Undertaker was late in making his ring entrance. After having altered the outcome of the WWF Tag Team Championship Match by his interference earlier in the program, the Big Boss Man was summoned once again by Vince McMahon to do his bidding for him. Apparently, the CEO had his personal bodyguard "soften up" the Deadman with several chair shots backstage after their office meeting. The 'Taker was hurtin' for certain and sustained 200 points worth of damage from the brutal assault, but gamely came out to face the Big Show nonetheless. Bolstered by 100 points from his Match Modifier due to previous experience gained in Buried Alive Matches, the Undertaker was somewhat able to offset the punishment that he sustained from the Boss Man's ambush. Now onto the match. After battling in the ring for several minutes with neither man securing an advantage , the action slowly and inevitably made its way toward the ominous mountain of dirt beside the entrance ramp. The combatants brawled around the open grave with the Phenom finally sending his opponent into the trench following a running Clothesline. The 'Taker then began shoveling in the dirt until the Big Show's hand reached up out of the blackness, grabbed the Deadman by the ankle, and pulled him down inside the grave. The two men continued to duke it out within the claustrophobic confines of the ditch until the Big Show rocked his foe with a pair of crushing Head Butts. He then climbed out and waited for the 'Taker to do likewise. Once the Phenom emerged from the hole, he was clobbered by his adversary with a wheelbarrow across the back. Things looked grim for the Deadman. The Big Show motioned to the crowd that it was time for his Chokeslam finisher when Test suddenly raced out from the back with a shovel. A huge leaping smash from the ramp sent the Big Show collapsing backward into the grave. The Undertaker then grabbed another spade from nearby. He and Test shoveled on the dirt until Referee Jack Doan called the match at 13:39 and declared the Phenom to be the winner.

Sable Promo

A vignette of clips featuring the blonde WWF diva are shown including her debut as "Marvelous" Marc Mero's valet, as well as her famous "Grind" dance. We're then shown footage of Sable winning the Ladies Championship by pinning Luna Vachon in a Fatal Four Way Match with some help from her "enforcer" Nicole Bass on RAW last week. The segment ends by hawking Sable's appearance in the current issue of Playboy magazine:

Tag team partners but a month ago at the Judgment Day pay-per-view, Kane brought this highly successful albeit unusual alliance to an abrupt end by Chokeslamming Austin during an episode of RAW when the Texas Rattlesnake came to Dude Love's aid during a Big Trouble (Big Show & Big Boss Man) beat down. The Big Red Machine's treason was apparently orchestrated by Stone Cold's bitter archenemy Mr. McMahon himself who then welcomed Kane into his corporate fold. As we have already seen tonight, the Chairman & CEO of the WWF likes to hedge his bets and stack the deck in his team's favor. Tonight's Main Event would prove to be no exception. When there is corporate dirty work to be done, the Big Boss Man can usually be found at the heart of it. Not only did the meddling McMahon have the former prison guard from Cobb County, Georgia interrupt Austin's pre-match interview with Michael Cole to cost the champ 50 points, he also dispatched the Boss Man to ringside where he was able to land a blow with his trademark nightstick after Referee Mike Chioda had taken a bad spill to the canvas. Both McMahon and the Boss Man may have gone to the well once too often, however. The CEO's bodyguard was about to strike again with his nightstick when Mankind, now in full Dude Love garb, came out of no where and applied the Love Handle (Mandible Claw) to the unsuspecting Boss Man causing him to drop his weapon. Austin then doubled over the Big Red Machine with a quick nightstick jab to the gut and then finished him off with a Stone Cold Stunner. Chioda shook out the cobwebs to find Austin making the cover and counted the pin at 13:46. Your winner and still WWF Champion - "Stone Cold" Steve Austin ! The Texas Rattlesnake celebrated his successful title defense by climbing up a turnbuckle and guzzling down a couple of cans of beer as the fans cheer him on. A ring attendant also tossed a can of beer to Dude Love who saluted the Champ and gulped it down.

Backstage Segment - Mr. McMahon's Office

The program ends with Mr. McMahon speaking on the phone with his attorneys again. Although he seems disappointed with Austin's victory to close the show, Vince is gloating over his win in the First Blood Match against Shawn Michaels and the subsequent termination of the Jackyl. "We really dodged a bullet there with that contract didn't we, boys ?" he laughs, "I mean, could you just imagine what would have happened to this company if Michaels had taken over control ? He would have run us into the ground and put us out of business ! I would have lost millions ! And all because of one tiny little paragraph of fine print in that contract ..... which was overlooked by my lawyers..... despite them being paid quite well to do their jobs and not overlook such things....... All's well that ends well, I guess. And oh, by the way, YOU'RE ALL FIRED !!" McMahon slams the phone down, and with that we fade to black with the WWF logo:

Frank Coutinho interviewed Armageddon (formerly known as the Truth Commission) prior to this evening's opening bout. Recon and Sniper made a big splash at Bad Blood by turning on their former manager the Jackyl and helping Mr. McMahon's defeat "HBK" Shawn Michaels in a "First Blood" Match. McMahon's victory enabled him to maintain control of the WWF and also led to the Jackyl's termination from the company. The Boss welcomed Recon and Sniper into the corporate fold and renamed the duo "Armageddon". McMahon's new tag team could not be faulted for feeling a little full of themselves and boasting about their role at Bad Blood during tonight's promo, however they soon realized that their actions might have some serious repercussions. Former stablemate Kurrgan the Interrogator interrupted the interview by lashing out at them for being "traitors to the cause" and precipitating the dissolution of the Truth Commission. Now on his own, Kurrgan ominously warned Recon and Sniper to watch their backs. As if making enemies with a 6' 10" monster weren't bad enough, Armageddon were also reminded that they will have other things to answer for down the road. The duo passed by Shawn Michaels and Triple H backstage as they made their way to the ring. Still sporting a large bandage on his forehead from being rammed into a ring post at Bad Blood, HBK smiled at Recon and Sniper and sarcastically wished them luck in their match tonight. There is clearly some unfinished business and scores to be settled between DX and Armageddon.

As a result of their disastrous interview with Frank Coutinho, Armageddon lost 50 points for our opening contest, but the deduction was quickly offset by a roll on their Cheating Modifier. Concerned about potential outsider interference, McMahon dispatched the Big Boss Man to ringside to be in Armageddon's corner. Although he didn't actually interfere per se, the Boss Man's presence alone OOR was enough to spook Too Much. Christopher and Taylor were looking over their shoulders the entire match. The distraction cost them dearly - 100 points to be exact - and carried Armageddon onto victory as Recon pinned Scotty with a Scissor Kick at 7:55. Jerry Lawler was furious with Taylor once more and jumped into the ring to chastise him after the match. A brief shoving match ensued with Brian Christopher stepping in to restore the peace.

Backstage Segment - "The Last Straw"

The roving WWF cameraman backstage has stumbled upon a ruckus backstage outside of the locker room between Scott Taylor and Brian Christopher. We eavesdrop on the heated conversation:

Taylor: "That's it ! I'm done ! I've had it with your old man ! What is his problem, Dude ??"

Christopher: "C'mon, Scotty, just let it go, man. He gets frustrated when we don't win. He just wants us to be successful, that's all."

Taylor: "No, he want's YOU to be successful. He wants ME to take a hike !"

Christopher: "Look, Dude, it's true that he want's me to go solo, but Too Much is where my heart is. We're this close to making it big as a tag team. We've come this far.... Don't give up on us now !"

Taylor: "Alright, Bro, but I'm just telling you now straight up, if he gives me any more crap and embarrasses me in the ring like that ever again, I'm gonna haul off and smack him !"

Christopher: "Let me talk to him, Dude. I can make this right."

Jerry "The King" Lawler has publically denied any allegations linking him whatsoever to Brian "Too Sexy" Christopher, but can he repudiate those claims any longer ?

This match would have fit right into the Bad Blood pay-per-view card. Sable won the Women's Championship by pinning Vachon in a Fatal Four Way Match on RAW after her enforcer Nicole Bass clobbered Luna with the Ladies' Title Belt. Luna cut a good promo with Frank Coutinho prior to the bout by vowing revenge to earn 75 points, but Bass topped that by drawing big time heat during her entrance and adding 150 points to her score. History seemed destined to repeat itself when Sable swung her championship belt at Vachon again, however Luna saw it coming this time and ducked at the last instant. Bass took the blow square on the kisser and staggered right into a Small Package to give Vachon the victory at 5:59.

WWF Injury Update

Michael Cole brings us up to date on the status of the federation's injured competitors. Though still on crutches, Hunter Hearst Helmsley's hyperextended knee continues to improve. He is expected to return to action in time for the Royal Rumble pay-per-view later this month. WWF Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon has promised him an Intercontinental Title Match against the Rock if he is healed up and ready to go. Triple H continues to insist that he was callously injured by Owen Hart and his Sharpshooter during a match on RAW several weeks ago; an assertion that Owen flat out denies.

Cole then brings us up to speed on Ivory's progress. The diva sustained severely bruised ribs at the hands of Sable's enforcer Nicole Bass during a Fatal Four Way Match for the WWF Ladies Championship. The assault essentially eliminated Ivory from the contest in the beginning stages and made it a Triple Threat Match instead. We're then shown footage of Ivory rehabbing and working out in the gym with her trainer and medical personnel. Despite the precautions they are taking, she winces every so often from the pain. Ivory is wearing a flak jacket of sorts to help protect her ribs. The staff is urging her to slow down and go easy, but she is bound and determined to make her return soon.

This was a rough night for Blackman. It was a bad sign for the Lethal Weapon when "Precious" Paul Ellering and the Disciples of the Apocalypse walked onto the set and interrupted his backstage promo . Blackman has recently been feuding with the biker gang after they messed with his duffel bag of martial arts weapons. On a recent edition of RAW, 8-Ball & Skull (aka the Harris Brothers) combined for an illegal Double DDT on Blackman to give 8-Ball a victory over the martial arts expert. DOA's intrusion tonight cost the Lethal Weapon 50 points. In contrast, the ghoulish Gangrel added 50 points to his score by making a macabre entrance which included drinking from a goblet of blood and then spitting its contents into the air. Apparently Skull & 8-Ball weren't finished messing with Blackman just yet. They came down to ringside mid-match and dumped out his bag of weapons onto the floor. Gangrel capitalized on the distraction by planting his opponent into the mat with his Impaler DDT finisher to score the pinfall at 5:08. As if that weren't enough, the Lethal Weapon then sustained a Blood Bath. Upon Gangrel's command, gallons of "blood" rained down from the rafters and completely doused the dazed Blackman in the ring.

Royal Rumble Promo

We're shown a montage of clips from Royal Rumbles of the past and their winners - Yokozuna, "HBK" Shawn Michaels, Hulk Hogan, Bret "The Hitman" Hart and "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan are featured among others. 30 participants enter the ring in two minute intervals with their entry numbers being predetermined by a lottery. Competitors are eliminated by going over the top rope and having both feet touch the floor. The last man remaining in the ring is declared the winner and will face "Stone Cold" Steve Austin for the WWF Championship at WrestleMania.

Having aligned themselves with Faarooq during his feud with the Rock over leadership of the Nation of Domination, it was unclear if Brown & Henry would remain in the stable after Bad Blood. A DQ loss at the pay-per-view forced Faarooq's departure from the Nation, but would his supporters follow ? Perhaps that question was answered this evening when "We Are the Nation of Domination !" boomed over the PA system to announce Brown and Henry's arrival to the ring for this contest. A roll on their Tag Team Bonus match modifier contributed to the Nation's cause as did a great in-ring promo on their opponents, but the real story of this match was yet to come. Clad in full Nation attire, Ahmed Johnson marched down to ringside and clobbered Prince Albert over the noggin with a chair shot OOR while Mark Henry distracted Referee Tim White. Albert, the legal man for his team at the time, could not recover from the blow and was subsequently counted out at 6:38.

Backstage Segment - "Making History"

Mr. McMahon is sifting through a pile of paperwork on his desk when there's a knock at the door. "I'm busy ! Go away !" he shouts. Hunter Hearst Helmsley hobbles in on his crutches with Chyna right behind him. She shuts the door, folds her arms and silently stares at the Boss. McMahon holds up his hands in disbelief and mutters "What part of 'go away' don't you two understand ?? Can't you see that I've got a ton of work to do." Triple H is as defiant as ever. "Chyna wants to be in the Royal Rumble," he says. McMahon looks up from his papers, glances over at Chyna standing by the door, and returns to his work. "Absolutely not," the Boss answers, "We've never had a woman in the Rumble before and we're not going to start now." "Look at her, Vince," Triple H persists, "She's built like a tank ! She's in better shape than half the guys in this company !" McMahon ignores him and continues on with his work. Helmsley isn't taking no for an answer. He knows just how to get the owner's attention. "Will you listen to me ? Just consider this, Vince - the first woman to ever compete in a Royal Rumble ! Think of the ratings..... and think about the money you'll make if you promote the hell out of this thing !" McMahon puts down his pen and takes a longer and harder look at Chyna. He leans back in his chair and rubs his chin thoughtfully. Chyna approaches his desk, leans over and stares the Boss directly in the eye. "You'll get no preferential treatment," McMahon warns. "I don't want any," she answers, "I just want a chance to win it." McMahon thinks about it some more and then says, "You're in."

Charlie made a big entrance and played to the crowd with his trademark chainsaw buzzing away. The theatrics earned him 150 bonus points, but they also enabled Mero to attack him from behind during Lilian Garcia's introductions to get the early jump in the bout. Charlie used his veteran ring savvy and brawling to get himself back in the match, however his comeback was short-circuited when Jacqueline landed a Low Blow from behind after Referee Mike Chioda had been toppled to the canvas. Marvelous Marc then followed up with his T.K.O. finisher (Fireman's Carry Cutter). Chioda shook off his bump to find Mero making the cover and counted the pin at 6:09.

In Ring Promo - "Welcome to the Dogg House"

The New Age Outlaws' music hits bringing the fans to their feet ! Billy Gunn and Road Dogg come down to the ring wearing mock ECW Tag Team Championship Belts. Although the Dudley Boyz titles were not at stake at Bad Blood, the Outlaws apparently feel as though they've earned them after winning their tag team match via pinfall.

Road Dogg: "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages ......... D-Generation X proudly brings to you its ECW Tag Team Champions of the Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooorld......... The Road Dogg Jesse James ! The "Bad Ass" Billy Gunn ! The New Age Outlaws !!"

Billy Gunn: "And if you're not down with that, Paul Heyman, then we've got two words for ya ......."

Crowd: "Suck it !!"

The Outlaws brag about their victory at Bad Blood and how they sent the Dudleyz back home to Pennsylvania "with their tails between their legs". JR is quick to point out, though, that Sabu should be credited (or blamed) for the winning pin after bashing Buh Buh in the face with one of the ECW title belts.

The Outlaws promo is then suddenly interrupted by Bret "The Hitman" Hart's music. Bret shocked everyone by unexpectedly appearing at Bad Blood to be in his brother's corner. The Hitman contributed to Owen's victory by whacking X-Pac over the back with one of Hunter Hearst Helmsley's crutches. The Hart family have taken offense to slanderous accusations made by D-Generation X who insinuated that Owen and Bret's success in the WWF was due to nothing more than favoritism within the front office.

The Hart Brothers make their way down to the ring to loud cheers. Owen asks the Outlaws if they want a taste of what "X-Punk" experienced at Bad Blood. The challenge sparks off a four-man-free-for-all in the ring with the Harts gradually gaining the upper hand. Road Dogg and Billy Gunn bail from the ring to regroup and slowly retreat to the back with some choice words for the Harts.

6. Vader vs. Jeff Jarrett (w/ manager Tennessee Lee)

Both competitors earned 75 points for their respective entrances, but the big man from the Rocky Mountains dominated the match modifiers by rolling on Size. The 250 point bonus made the much smaller Jarrett the underdog, but he came out on top nonetheless with the assistance of Tennessee Lee. Jarrett's shady manager earned his keep and took one for the team by climbing up onto the apron and allowing himself to be clocked by Vader. Jarrett was able to capitalize on his preoccupied foe by rolling Vader up from behind and pinning him with a handful of tights at 7:45.

Backstage Segment - "Test-ing Mr. McMahon's Patience"

McMahon is holding a corporate meeting in his office with his cronies Pat Patterson, Gerald Brisco and Commissioner Sergeant Slaughter. Also present are Big Trouble (Big Show & the Big Boss Man). The WWF's Chairman & CEO is discussing what he refers to as "The Test Situation". Test has been embroiled in a feud with both members of Big Trouble for some time now. The origins of the conflict can be traced back to Big Show's debut on RAW when he Chokeslammed Test through the announcers' table. McMahon points out that Test was directly responsible for the Undertaker's victory in the Buried Alive Match at Bad Blood. (Test clobbered Big Show with a shovel causing him to fall into the grave.) The Boss pauses. His face grows noticeably angrier and redder. "And that's not all," he scowls, "That bastard had the audacity to send my daughter Stephanie a box of candy and flowers for Valentine's Day !" The room grows awkwardly quiet. "Well, what does Stephanie think of that, Vince ?" Pat Patterson asks innocently, "Maybe they have feelings for one another ?" McMahon shoots him a dirty look. "Don't even go there," he growls, "It's out of the question !" The meeting adjourns as McMahon and the Boss Man head for ringside.

Boss Man's Hardcore Title is not on the line tonight. The former adult film star Venis had the gals in attendance swooning once more with his raspy "Helllllllloooooooooo Ladies ......." drawl and then proceeded to twirl a towel off his gyrating hips and toss it into the crowd, all of which added 125 extra points to his score. His opponent received 75 bonus points of his own, however, when Mr. McMahon praised him before the match for being a loyal and trusted employee of his corporation. The Boss was not done quite yet. McMahon seemed determined to help his personal bodyguard win this match and chipped in with a few cheap shots on Venis along the way. A commotion from the fans alerted us that "The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock was making his way down to ringside. In the past, we would assume that his intent was to stir up trouble for his little sister Ryan, however the two siblings recently appeared to mend their fences and make peace with one another at Bad Blood. Although he despises Val Venis, Shamrock demonstrated his new-found loyalty to Ryan by taking the Chairman & CEO of the WWF to task for his interference and putting him in his Ankle Lock finisher OOR. Referee Tim White immediately came to McMahon's aide to help break up the submission hold. As he did so, Test came out of no where and landed a huge Diving Elbow Drop from the top rope onto the prone Boss Man. Tim White returned to the ring to find Venis making the cover and counted the pin on the Boss Man at 10:08.

Favoring his sore ankle, Mr. McMahon limps toward the back with the Boss Man's assistance while looking over his shoulder and glaring at Test and Ken Shamrock in the ring. McMahon then stops dead in his tracks. His jaw drops when he sees Stephanie on the jumbo Titantron screen admiring her bouquet of flowers and arranging them thoughtfully in a vase of water. McMahon is seething with rage as the crowd cheers ! Test continues to be a thorn in the side of the Boss and his corporate stable. And with that, we fade to black and the company logo:

2. WWF Light Heavyweight Champion Taka Michinoku and Jesus Castillo were both disqualified at 6:37 in a non-title match when members of both competitors' respective stables Kaientai and Los Boricuas interfered.

3. Edge of the Brood (w/ Christian) over Jeff Hardy via Count Out at 9:07 when Hardy got into a confrontation with Christian OOR.

4. The Big Show pinned Kurrgan at 7:16 after Kurrgan ran into a raised boot to the jaw on a corner charge.

5. The Godfather & Dude Love defeated the New Blackjacks (Bradshaw & Windham) at 8:14. Windham was pinned by the Pimp Daddy following a Dude Love Double Arm DDT/ Godfather Jumping Leg Drop combo. This match was originally billed as a singles contest pitting Windham against the Godfather. The Blackjacks insisted that it be a tag team match and challenged anyone from the back to come out and be the Pimp Daddy's partner. Dude Love emerged to a big ovation from the crowd.

6. "HBK" Shawn Michaels of D-Generation X pinned Dan "The Beast" Severn (w/ "Beauty" aka Terri Runnels) with his Sweet Chin Music Superkick at 11:14. After the show, Michaels, who hails from San Antonio, stayed behind to sign autographs for the fans.

Jim Cornette opened the show by touting his New Midnight Express to the masses during a locker room interview with Kevin Kelly. Matt Hardy, who was in the background prepping for his upcoming match with Christian later this evening, couldn't help but overhear the unwarranted hype. Apparently Matt wasn't buying what Cornette was selling and interrupted the promo to tell the motormouth manager as much. Hardy pointed out that this latest variation of the Midnight Express paled in comparison to it's famous predecessors, "Well, nobody cares what you think !" Cornette retorted, but the damage had been done. Cleared ruffled by the disruption, Cornette lost his focus and was forced to cut the segment short all of which resulted in the New Midnight Express losing 50 points for tonight's opening contest against L.O.D. 2000.

Jim Cornette was still fuming over Matt Hardy's intrusion by the time he and the New Midnight Express made their way to ringside. Cornette usually makes the match introductions for his team, however he was so flustered by the botched interview that he allowed Tony Chimel to do the honors instead. On the opposing side, Hawk's "What a rrrrrrruuuuuuuushhhhhh !" growl pumped up the fans and added 100 bonus points to L.O.D.'s total. Hawk and Animal tacked on another 75 points for rolling on their Strength Modifier with the New Midnight Express countering somewhat by earning 50 points of their own for Savvy. When all the numbers were crunched, L.O.D. 2000 were heavy favorites to win the match, and win they did (with a little unexpected help from Mr. Cornette himself). The Louisville Loudmouth was both off his game and off his mark tonight. He accidentally clobbered Bombastic Bob with an errant tennis racquet smash enabling Animal to score the winning pinfall at 8:25.

Backstage Segment

Kevin Kelly attempted to interview Matt Hardy about the Hardy Boyz recent feud with Edge and Christian of the Brood when Jim Cornette burst onto the set to stir up trouble. Matt was taking no guff from him, however, and rhetorically asked how the New Midnight Express fared against L.O.D. 2000 tonight. The confrontation became heated with Cornette challenging the Hardy Boyz to face his team on next week's edition of RAW. Matt gladly accepted, but lost 50 points for having his promo interrupted.

Referee Chad Patton had the unenviable task of maintaining order in this contest given the frequent outside interference of the respective corner men. Patton allowed a lot of leeway, but was ultimately forced to call the match and disqualify both competitors at 6:09 when Edge and Jeff Hardy entered the ring to join in the fray. Cornette's New Midnight Express then compounded the chaos by racing in from the back and attacking Matt Hardy. Oddly enough, the Brood then began brawling with Gunn and Holly. "No chance in hell !" theme music soon brought an end to the mayhem. Mr .McMahon came out with his cronies Gerald Brisco and Pat Patterson and told the warring parties to save their energy. The Boss said that he was ratcheting up the Hardy Boyz/New Midnight Express contest to now include the Brood in what will be a Triple Threat Tables, Ladders & Chairs Match on RAW with the winning team getting a title shot at the Headbangers. "Did y'all hear what Mr. Mack-man said ?" Brisco chimed in. The teams disbursed with the understanding of both the opportunity and danger that had been presented to them by the owner.

Backstage Segment - The Kiss of Death

The roving WWF camera man comes across a rendezvous between Test and Stephanie McMahon backstage. There clearly seemed to be some flirting and romantic chemistry going on between the two. Stephanie thanked Test again for the Valentine's Day sweets and flowers. The two lovebirds then begin discussing Test's upcoming match against Chainz. The conversation was suddenly interrupted by the arrival of Pat Patterson who seemed antsy and uncomfortable being in the couple's presence. Patterson informed Stephanie that her father wished to speak with her in his office. He looked away as she gave Test a peck on the cheek for good luck tonight. Stephanie then departed with Patterson. Neither seemed to take notice of Big Trouble (the Big Boss Man and Big Show) who were walking with conviction in Test's direction. No sooner had Patterson and Stephanie turned the corner that we witness Big Trouble putting a brutal clubberin' on Test.

3. Test vs. Chainz of the Disciples of the Apocalypse

This match never took place. As a result of the beating that he had just sustained at the hands of Big Show and the Big Boss Man moments ago, Test had to receive medical attention and was unable to compete. The void was filled by an impromptu in-ring promo from Bret "The Hitman" Hart who spoke his mind regarding a variety of subjects including Vince McMahon, Shawn Michaels, Montreal, and his subsequent departure from the company. It was about this time that Stephanie entered her father's office backstage and found Vince watching Bret's monologue on a monitor.

Mr. McMahon: "He's not under contract yet, but I think we can get him to appear at the Royal Rumble."

Stephanie: 'Who are you talking about ?"

Stephanie turned to look at the screen and was surprised to see Bret Hart in the ring.

Stephanie: "Wait, is this live, dad ?"

Mr. McMahon: "Sure it's live. I'm going to let Hart speak his piece and get it all off his chest. Hopefully we can put the past behind us and bring him back onboard."

Stephanie: "Yeah, but Test is suppose to be wrestling Chainz right now. Is their match over already ??"

Mr. McMahon: "Not exactly."

Stephanie: "Not exactly ? What's that suppose to mean ? You didn't cancel the match for Hart's promo did you ?"

Mr. McMahon: "We had to. Test wasn't fit to wrestle tonight."

Stephanie: "Wait .... what ?? I just saw him like ten minutes ago and he was fine."

Mr. McMahon: "Well, something ..... happened."

Stephanie was in disbelief and grew angry with her father for ignoring her with his vague answers. She then deliberately stood in front of the screen to blocked Vince's vision.

Stephanie: "What's going on ??"

Mr. McMahon: "Stephanie, please ! I'm trying to watch this !"

Stephanie: "I know that you know, dad ! Is Test alright ?? "

Mr. McMahon: "We'll talk about it later !"

Stephanie had enough and stormed out of Vince's office slamming the door behind her.

Despite being on the mend, Triple H was still on crutches as he made his way down to ringside to cut a promo. Helmsley assured the crowd that he would be ready for the Royal Rumble and vowed to defeat the Rock for the Intercontinental Champion. He then began to expound upon Chyna's participation in the Rumble and how she was cheated out of the Ladies Title when Sable pinned Luna Vachon with the help of Nicole Bass in a Fatal Four Way Championship Match on RAW. Hunter's speech was cut short, however, by Owen Hart who came out on the ramp with a microphone to question the validity of Helmsley's hyperextended knee injury. Triple H contends that he was intentionally injured by Hart's Sharpshooter; a charge that Owen emphatically denies. "You take care of your business tonight little Owen," Helmsley said, "And I'll take care of mine." (Triple H was no doubt referring to Hart's match later this evening against "Bad Ass" Billy Gunn.) Hart may not have the same mic skills as Helmsley, but he succeeded in costing the ladies of DX 50 points by his interruption. Nicole Bass then tried to use the confrontation to her advantage by attacking Chyna before the bell, but "The Ninth Wonder of the World" was ready for her and caught Sable's enforcer with a Military Press Slam. Sable has undergone a noticeable attitude change ever since appearing in the recent issue of Playboy magazine and seems to relish in her newly found heel status. She and Bass cheated often in the match and employed several illegal tags and dirty double team maneuvers. Karma would come back to haunt them in the end, though. Bass cradled Chyna in a Small Package, but Referee Mike Chioda was busy sending Tori and Sable back to their respective corners. This allowed Ivory (who was injured by Bass in the aforementioned Fatal Four Way Match) to sneak into the ring and reverse the cradle. Chioda finally turned around to find Chyna on top and counted the pin for DX at 6:53.

Royal Rumble Promo

The commercial hypes Chyna as the first woman to ever compete in a Royal Rumble. There's a montage of clips featuring "the Ninth Wonder of the World" in action from various matches. They demonstrate her ability to more than hold her own against her male counterparts. The segment ends by reminding us that the winner of the Rumble gets a title shot against WWF Champion "Stone Cold" Steve Austin at WrestleMania.

5. "The Strongest Man in the World" Mark Henry of the Nation of Domination vs. WWF European Champion The Artist Formerly Known as Goldust (w/ Luna Vachon)

This is a Non-Title Match. Both competitors had good interviews with Kevin Kelly prior to the contest to add bonus points to their scores. The European Champ increased his total further by rolling on his Cheating Modifier. The real story of this match, though, was the complete absence of Nation of Domination members in Mark Henry's corner. Michael Cole speculated if the Nation had abandoned him and left Henry to fend for himself tonight. That question was answered soon enough when Ahmed Johnson came down to ringside in Nation attire and pulled Goldust's foot out from under him on a Verticle Suplex attempt. Johnson's interference caused Henry to fall on top and gain the pinfall at 7:37. After the bell, Henry and Johnson gave the Nation of Domination Fist Salute to the crowd to dispel any lingering doubts. This signifies the second time that Ahmed Johnson has interfered to help the Nation win a match. The Pearl River Powerhouse has apparently taken Faarooq's vacant place within the stable.

Backstage Segment

The New Blackjacks are stewing over their recent lack of success within the tag team ranks. Bradshaw contemplates whether or not they should dissolve the tag team and just go their separate ways. Barry Windham, the veteran of the duo, tries to persuade him to stick with it. Bradshaw reluctantly agrees, but we can see that his heart is not in it. Windham gives him a reassuring pat on the back and walks off. Bradshaw turns around to find Faarooq in his face. Apparently the former leader of the Nation of Domination has been eavesdropping on the New Blackjack's conversation. "You can do better," Farrooq said. "Is that a proposition ?" Bradshaw asked. "That depends," Faarooq answered, "Do you like playing cards and drinking beer ?" Bradshaw responded with an emphatic "Hell yeah !" Faarooq nodded and said "So do I. Let's talk."

Things continue to heat up between the Hart Brothers and the New Age Outlaws after disparaging remarks were made by DX regarding the Hart family. The feud featured a singles match tonight pitting Billy Gunn against Owen Hart in our Main Event. Both competitors made big entrances to boost their points totals and received help from their corner men after the action got under way. At one point, Road Dogg snuck into the ring and planted Owen into the mat with a DDT while Referee Jack Doan was arguing with the Hitman. Bret then got involved by reaching into the ring and tripping Billy as he bounded off the ropes. All heck broke loose once the Dogg slid a folding chair into the ring for Billy to use. The Hitman and Road Dogg went at it OOR which drew Doan's attention momentarily away from the match. Looking to capitalize on the distraction, Gunn charged at his opponent with the chair but had it sent into his own face by a Spin Kick from Owen. Doan then turned around to find Hart making the cover and counted the pin at 10:15.

Backstage Segment - Trainer's Room

Unbeknownst to Stephanie who has been searching for him backstage, Test is in the trainer's room with a big bandage on his forehead after having a gash stitched up by the ringside physician. Pat Patterson enters to see how he's doing. He notes the puffiness around Test's left eye and tells him that he's going to have a nice shiner in the morning. "Vince was behind this wasn't he ?" Test asks. Patterson just shrugs. "Maybe he was ......... and maybe he wasn't." Test ponders Patterson's comment and adds, "I'm not good enough for his daughter, is that it ??" Patterson hands him an ice pack. "Love hurts, kid," he says and exits the room. And with that we fade to black with the WWF logo:

Michael Cole opened the showed by addressing the situation between Jerry "The King" Lawler and Too Much (Brian "Too Sexy" Christopher & Scott "Too Hot" Taylor). While the King did admit to having a "soft spot in his heart" for young Christopher's career, he stopped short of acknowledging that he is, in fact, Brian's father. Cole pressed the issue, but Lawler steered the focus of the discussion back on the tag team's success or lack there of. Taylor, who seemed apprehensive throughout the conversation, suddenly piped up and predicted that Too Much would "get on a roll" beginning with a victory over Kaientai tonight. Lawler merely rolled his eyes at the boast. The King clearly has little patience for Taylor and even less confidence in his abilities. "If you really want to win tonight," Lawler responded, "then just stay out of Brian's way and let him wrestle the bulk of the match, okay ?" Taylor was peeved at the snub and walked off the set to end the interview.

Things got off to a shaky start this evening for the Oriental stable of Kaientai. Manager Yamaguchi-San was cutting a promo backstage in broken English when Jose Estrada Jr. of Los Boricuas barged in. The Latino faction has been feuding with Kaientai ever since the Judgment Day pay-per-view several months ago. The confrontation became heated with Estrada spouting off in Spanish and Yamaguchi-San countering in his native Japanese. Neither man could understand the other which made for a rather confusing and comical exchange, but Estrada's interruption did succeed in reducing Kaientai's score by 50 points. The real story of this match, however, was whether or not Scotty would heed the King's advice and let his partner carry the load. As we would soon discover, the answer to that question would not be to Lawler's liking. Too Much grabbed the early advantage thanks in large part to some flashy aerial maneuvers from Christopher, but the momentum abruptly swung in their opponents' favor once Taylor tagged in. Rather than maintaining the intense tempo that his partner had established, Scotty played to the crowd with his Hip Hop theatrics instead. The lapse in judgment allowed Teioh and Funaki to wrest control away. To compound the situation, Taylor refused to tag out when he had the opportunity to do so. No doubt intent on proving himself to Lawler, Scotty only made things worse by committing one gaff after another. The King himself ended up bailing Too Much out of their predicament. Men's Teioh was perched on the top rope and set to deliver what appeared to be a decisive Diving Splash when Lawler jumped from his seat at the announcers' table and pulled Scotty out of harm's way. Teioh crashed to the canvas and was pinned by Taylor moments later at 8:41. Scotty's subsequent exuberance and post-match celebration was cut short when the King entered the ring to chastise him. The two quickly came to blows with Christopher and Referee Mike Sparks being pressed into action to separate the combatants.

Backstage Segment - The Higher Power

Faarooq is speaking with a hooded figure in a dark room. The identity of the specter is concealed within the blackness of the chamber. "Have you spoken with Bradshaw yet ?" the phantom asks. Faarooq confirms that the meeting has taken place, but adds that he hasn't received an answer as of yet. "Give him an ultimatum," the mysterious figure instructs, "He is either for us, or he's against us. There is no middle ground." Suddenly another brawny figure enters the room whose identity is also cloaked in the darkness. The brawny hulk stands behind the hooded apparition. "Understood," Faarooq responds and then exits the room.

This feud has escalated over the past several weeks and has been surprisingly dominated by Regal thus far. It should be pointed out that Al was advised by doctors to postpone this match after sustaining a neck injury at the hands of the Real Man's Man during a house show last week from Corpus Christi, Texas. At that event, Snow sustained a Regal Neckbreaker. The injury was further aggravated by Tiger Ali Singh's Camel Clutch finisher. Revenge is a strong motivating factor, though, and Snow was intent on getting some. Despite being less than 100%, Al wrestled the match anyway and earned himself 100 bonus points right from the get go by spoiling his opponent's sneak attack attempt during his ring entrance. The injury would flare up once the match got under way. Cruel but effective, Regal centered his attack on the neck and wore Snow done by inflicting additional damage. The match ended up in the TV Crew Truck with Referee Earl Hebner scrambling to get himself into position and make the three count at 10:44 after Regal clobbered Al with a video monitor.

Backstage Segment

The ugliness between Scott Taylor and Jerry "The King" Lawler has reached it's breaking point. Despite all efforts to smooth things over and reconcile the two, Brian Christopher was unable to precipitate an amicable solution. Taylor challenges the King outright to a match at the Royal Rumble with the following stipulations: If he wins, then Lawler must come clean to the public regarding his relationship to Christopher, but if he loses, then he will quit Too Much to let Brian pursue a singles career. The King gladly accepts the terms.

3. Droz vs. Blackjack Windham

There is trouble afoot in the Blackjacks' camp these days. Blackjack Bradshaw has made some noise recently about disbanding the Texas tandem with each man going their separate way. To add to the drama, Faarooq, who was recently discharged from the Nation of Domination stable following a loss to the Rock at the Bad Blood pay-per-view, has expressed some interest in teaming up with Bradshaw in the future. If Barry Windham is, indeed, on the verge of being replaced, he is not going quietly and said as much to Michael Cole during a pre-match interview. The veteran from Sweetwater, Texas takes a lot of pride in following in his daddy Blackjack Mulligan's footsteps and reforming the famous Blackjack tag team legacy. Windham accentuated his position with a convincing win over Droz this evening. The winning pinfall came by way of a Flying Cowboy Lariat at 4:41.

Backstage Segment - Mr. McMahon's Office

Sitting across from Mr. McMahon's desk is none other than Bret "The Hitman" Hart ! The Boss thanks Hart for coming by this evening to meet with him. "Let's not pull any punches, Bret," McMahon says. The remark draws both a nod and a smirk from the Hitman who might, perhaps, be recalling the last office encounter that he had with the WWF Chairman & CEO in Montreal. "I want you to be in the Royal Rumble," McMahon states. Hart quiet ponders the request for a moment, and then gives his answer. "No." Undeterred, the Boss continues, "Just think of the ratings ....... and the money that we'll both make if you were in it !" Bret looks around the office and then returns his attention to McMahon. "It's not about the money, Vince. It was never about the money. It's about you." McMahon refuses to back down, though, and persists, "You'll get a title match against Austin at WrestleMania if you win the Rumble. You can be the WWF Champion again ! What better way to make your return ?" Hart smiles. "I know that you're a man who is use to getting his way, but my answer is still no." McMahon sits back in his chair obviously disappointed. An awkward silence follows until Bret speaks up again. "I won't be in the Rumble, but I'll tell you what I will do. Put me in a tag match with my brother Owen against those two clowns the New Age Outlaws. That, I'll do." McMahon smiles. "Deal." The two men stand up and shake hands on it.

Both of these competitors have had their problems recently with outside parties. X-Pac has been immersed in feuds with both Owen Hart and Tennessee Lee's stable of Southern Justice and Jeff Jarrett. On the flip side, Blackman has had his hands full contending with the "Precious" Paul Ellering's biker gang of thugs the Disciples of the Apocalypse. All of the aforementioned hostilities manifested themselves once more tonight to impact the outcome of this bout. Owen Hart interrupted X-Pac's pre-match promo to cost him 50 points, while Skull and 8-Ball of D.O.A. did likewise when they disrupted Blackman's popular glow-in-the-dark Escrima fighting sticks entrance. Jeff Jarrett's interference would ultimately prove to be the deciding factor. He raced down the aisle late in the match and shoved X-Pac off the top rope leading to a pinfall for Blackman at 5:12.

Backstage Segment - Mr. McMahon's Office

McMahon is still beaming over Bret Hart's upcoming appearance at the Royal Rumble even if it's not in the capacity that he had originally intended. The Boss knows that it's a big step in rebuilding a working relationship with the Hitman and bringing him back on board with the WWF. Vince's reverie is soon shattered by the arrival of his angry and distraught daughter Stephanie who accuses him of masterminding the Big Show and Big Boss Man's brutal assault on her boyfriend Test backstage at the Breslin Arena on last week's episode of Sunday Night Heat. Vince neither confirms nor denies the allegations. His attempts to console Stephanie, however, only succeed in making her more upset. She states that Test wants to face the Big Show at the Royal Rumble. The request is granted. Vince then asserts his authority by informing her that he stands behind the Big Show and that he will be in his corner for the match. Undaunted, Stephanie folds her arms defiantly and responds by telling him that she will also be at the Royal Rumble - in Test's corner !

This match was ordained by Mr. McMahon to determine the number one contender's position for a title match against the WWF Tag Team Champion Headbangers (Mosh & Thrasher). A briefcase is suspended from the rafters above the ring containing an open contract for the championship match. The first team to collect the briefcase wins the match. All three duos bolstered their respective points totals with good promos. Ladder Modifiers also came into play with Matt & Jeff Hardy benefiting the most in that regard. Oddly enough, the outcome of the match would come down to some outside interference gone awry. Hardy Boyz' manager Michael Hayes may have had the best of intentions when he snuck into the ring and pushed over a ladder that Edge was climbing in an effort to retrieve the briefcase, however it collided with Matt Hardy's ladder thereby also sending him toppling to the canvas in the maelstrom. Bodacious Bart capitalized on the chaos by scaling a third ladder in the rubble and procuring the briefcase enroute to victory at 12:18. The New Midnight Express will challenge the Headbangers for the tag team titles on the next episode of RAW.

Royal Rumble Promo

The ad boasts 30 competitors; 28 from the current roster including Chyna, the first woman to ever compete in a Royal Rumble, as well as 2 from the WWF's illustrious past. The winner will face "Stone Cold" Steve Austin for the WWF Championship at WrestleMania.

Plus, four bonus matches:

Jerry "The King" Lawler will come out of retirement to face Scott "Too Hot" Taylor

Mr. McMahon did not appreciate nor forget being trapped in Shamrock's grueling Ankle Lock finisher on the last edition of RAW. The Boss dispatched his corporate team of Big Trouble (Big Show & the Big Boss Man) to ringside to insure that Shamrock would pay for his actions. McMahon's plan was short-circuited, however, by the arrival of Test and Val Venis who raced down the aisle to take out Big Trouble in a wild free-for-all on the floor. Amidst the melee, Ken's little sister Ryan also got into it with Jacqueline OOR. In lieu of the disorder, the World's Most Dangerous Man was able to maintain his composure and win the match with an Ankle Lock submission at 6:25.

Backstage Segment

DX members Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Chyna and X-Pac are all conversing backstage about the Royal Rumble. Despite being in street clothes and still on crutches, Triple H assures his cohorts that he'll not only be ready to go, but that he'll also defeat the Rock for the WWF Intercontinental Championship. Ahmed Johnson, who is on his way to the ring to face Mankind, overhears him say this. Johnson stops, looks at Triple H, and laughs. "Are you talking about this year's Royal Rumble, Helmsley, or next year's, because you sure as hell don't look ready to me !" A silent but intense standoff ensues between the two. "Get out of my face," Johnson mutters, "Unlike you, I've got a match to wrestle tonight."

Johnson, the newest member of the Nation, tried to set the stage for a successful debut in this evening's Main Event by disrupting Mankind's promo before the match. The interruption did cost Foley 50 points, but that paled in comparison to what D-Generation X had in store for Ahmed. Triple H, Chyna, and X-Pac all jumped Johnson backstage and inflicted 200 points worth of damage. The assault was capped off by a devastating Pedigree from Helmsley on the concrete. Johnson wrestled the match nonetheless, but his performance was clearly impaired by the battering that he had sustained beforehand. D'Lo Brown tried to lend his fellow Nation stable mate a hand by distracting Referee MIke Sparks during the match and allowing Johnson to cheat, but Mankind prevailed in the end by rolling through Ahmed's Running Powerslam to gain the winning three count at 9:41.

After the match, an irate Johnson closed the show with an ominous message for Triple H that including the Nation's trademark motto. "Helmsley, you think that you're ready for the Rock at the Royal Rumble ? Well, you better be more than ready ! In fact, you better have eyes in the back of your head because you're going to need them ! I'll be there, and I'll personally guarantee that the Rock leaves that ring with the WWF Intercontinental Belt - By Whatever Means Necessary !" And with that we fade to black with the WWF logo:

Over the past several months, Jerry Lawler has been resoundingly critical of Taylor during his commentary from the announcers' table. Furthermore, the King has found Scotty to be less than a worthy tag team partner for Brian "Too Sexy" Christopher of whom he thinks quite highly. The situation reached its breaking point last week in Hartford, CT when Taylor and the King came to blows following a tag team match between Kaientai and Too Much. After the scuffle, Scotty issued a challenge to Lawler to face him in a match at the Royal Rumble with the following stipulations: If the King won then Taylor agreed to quit Too Much and let Brian pursue a solo career, however if Scotty won then Lawler would have to come clean with the public regarding his relationship to Christopher. Too Sexy himself was at ringside to take in the match, but stayed in a neutral corner so as not to show favoritism to either man. That being said, the King looked a little rusty coming out of retirement to grace the ring once more. Although he had a wealth of knowledge and veteran savvy to draw from, Lawler chose instead to rely upon cheating. The King came with an eyelash of scoring a pinfall, albeit a tainted one, with the assistance of the ropes and a handful of tights, but Taylor managed to kick out. In the end, Scotty pulled out a victory by rolling through Lawler's Flying Cross Body at 6:25. After the bell, the King reluctantly took the microphone and admitting to being "related" to Christopher. Neither member of Too Much was satisfied with that explanation and insisted that Lawler elaborate further. Grudgingly, the King stated that he was, indeed, Brian's father and said that he "only wanted the best for his son." The crowd, who had boo'd Lawler during the contest, quickly forgave the King and cheered when father and son hugged in the ring.

2. Test (w/ Stephanie McMahon) vs. The Big Show (w/ Vince McMahon)

Mr. McMahon had made it quite clear that he does not approve of Test courting his daughter. Test was suspiciously jumped in the locker room by Big Trouble (Big Show & the Big Boss Man) during a broadcast of Sunday Night Heat after sending a bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates to Stephanie for Valentine's Day. In spite of her meddling father's objections, Stephanie has defiantly chosen to stand by her man. Right from the get go, something seemed amiss in the Corporation's camp. A roving cameraman caught a backstage argument between the Big Show and the Boss before the match. The Show said that he didn't want to be involved in McMahon's "family business" which drew a tongue lashing from the CEO. McMahon scolded Big Show and reminded him that he was "already involved". The rebuke and infighting cost the Show some points, as did a pre-match attack by Test who clobbered him with a chair shot during his entrance. The bout itself ended without resolution when both competitors were counted out by Referee Jack Doan at 7:50 as they battled on the floor around ringside.

The Hart brothers were clearly the favorites in this tag match tonight. The crowd went bonkers when the Hitman's music came over the PA and brought Bret and Owen down to the ring together. The fans have waited a long time for Bret to return to the WWF. This evening mark's the Hitman's first appearance in the ring since the infamous Montreal incident. Road Dogg and Billy Gunn are no strangers to big entrances themselves, however theirs was interrupted by yet another skirmish between Mr. McMahon and the Big Show. The Boss was obviously seething over the inconclusive results of the last match and had no problems voicing his disappointment to the Show. While the pre-match hoopla may not have gone the Outlaws' way, the Match Modifiers did. They received 50 points for Savvy while the Harts received no points for Strength. Gunn and Road Dogg also benefited from the presence (and interference) of fellow DX member Hunter Hearst Helmsley. Triple H kept his word and returned with a vengeance from his hyperextended knee in time for the Royal Rumble. Helmsley clearly had an axe to grind with Owen Hart and has pulled no punches in blaming him for the injury during his absence. Triple H blinded Owen with a handful of powder leading to a Billy Gunn roll up and a victory for the New Age Outlaws at 9:45.

Helmsley cut a great backstage promo with Kevin Kelly beforehand to earn himself 75 extra points to work with, but gave it all back and then some when the Rock thwarted his sneak attack attempt during Howard Finkel's ring introductions. The real story of this match, though, was Ahmed Johnson. The newest member of the Nation of Domination was looking for a little payback after being jumped by Triple H and his D-Generation X cohorts on last week's edition of Monday Night RAW. During his injury hiatus, Helmsley grew fond of interferring in DX matches with his crutches, so perhaps it was karma when Johnson raced down to ringside and smashed Triple H over the back with one while the Rock distracted Referee Mike Chioda. The Brahma Bull then added the People's Elbow for good measure to score the pinfall at 14:43. Your winner and still WWF Intercontinental Champion - the Rock !

5. The Royal Rumble.

While similar to a Battle Royal in nature, the Royal Rumble begins with only two competitors in the ring rather than all 30 at once. The remaining 28 competitors enter in two minute intervals as determined by a lottery. Participants are eliminated by going over the top rope with both feet touching the floor. The last wrestler remaining in the ring shall be declared the winner and receive a title match against WWF Champion "Stone Cold" Steve Austin at WrestleMania.

The match began with Al Snow and D'Lo Brown of the Nation of Domination. Order of entry thereafter:

Owen Hart, Christian of the Brood, Edge of the Brood, Chyna (the first woman to ever compete in a Royal Rumble), Prince Albert, the Big Show, Kurrgan, Hawk of L.O.D. 2000, Jake "The Snake" Roberts (!), Val Venis, 8 Ball of the Disciples of the Apocalypse, the Undertaker, Skull of the Disciples of the Apocalypse, Irwin R, Shyster (!), Scorpio, Dick Togo of Kaientai, Recon of Armageddon, WWF Intercontinental Champion the Rock of the Nation of Domination, Vader, "The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock, Blackjack Windham, the Big Boss Man, the Godfather of the Nation of Domination, "A Real Man's Man" Steven Regal, Blackjack Bradshaw, WWF Tag Team Champion Thrasher of the Headbangers, Test and "The Vampire Warrior" Gangrel of the Brood.

Final Four: Ken Shamrock, Blackjack Windham, Gangrel and the Godfather

Order of elimination:

Blackjack Windham by the Godfather, the Godfather by Gangrel, Ken Shamrock by Gangrel.

The winner of the Royal Rumble at 37:59 - "The Vampire Warrior" Gangrel of the Brood !

Having the coveted "30 Slot" in the lottery certainly helped Gangrel, as did Edge who slunk back down to ringside and pulled the top rope down to assist in Ken Shamrock's elimination. (Note - though gone from the WWF for quite some time, IRS was soundly boo'd - and relished every minute of it !) And with that we fade to black with the WWF logo:

This bout never took place. Jeff Hardy dropped a bombshell when he disclosed to Michael Cole in a pre-match interview backstage that he and brother Matt were firing their manager Michael Hayes. Hayes gained a wealth of tag team knowledge and experience from his storied history with the Fabulous Freebirds, however his success as a wrestler has not carried over into his managerial career. Hayes blundered in a big way during the Triple Threat Tables, Ladders and Chairs match on the last episode of RAW. The contest determined who would be the number one contenders to the WWF Tag Team Champion Headbangers and featured the New Midnight Express, Edge & Christian of the Brood and the Hardy Boyz. As the match reached its conclusion, Hayes pushed Edge's ladder over into Matt Hardy's thereby eliminated them both and enabling Bart Gunn to retrieve the briefcase containing an open contract with the Headbangers that dangled above the ring from the rafters. Apparently Hayes was skulking in the wings and eavesdropping on the interview. The former Freebird suddenly rushed onto the set and clobbered Jeff with a couple of vicious chair shots. "You didn't fire me, Hardy !" Hayes shouted, "I fired you and your loser brother !" Hardy was too badly injured from the assault to wrestle Aguila tonight. He is expected to be out of action for a couple of weeks.

2. Prince Albert vs. Tiger Ali Singh (w/ Manservant Babu)

Mr. McMahon made an unexpected appearance on the ramp after the match introductions. The Chairman & CEO of the WWF berated Prince Albert for his "poor showing" and "lack of effort" in the Royal Rumble. (Albert was the 6th man to be eliminated from the ring). McMahon said that he "expected a lot more from a 6' 7" 330lb monster". The Boss then talked about "Ruthless Aggression" (one of his favorite terms in the wrestling business) and declared that Albert was sorely lacking in that department. McMahon closed with an ominous warning. He reminded Albert that there were "a hundred other wrestlers out there who would gladly take his place on the roster" and told him that he had better "shape up fast". The reprimand cost Albert 75 points for this contest, but more importantly, it seemed to throw him out of sync for the entire match. On the other side of the ring, the wealthy Indian Playboy Tiger Ali Singh bolstered his total with a huge in-ring promo that earned him 100 points. Singh's chances were further enhanced when Babu landed a blackjack shot from behind on Albert. The worst was still yet to come. The Big Boss Man was dispatched to ringside by Mr. McMahon and laid out Albert with his trademark Sidewalk Slam while Referee Teddy Long was busy arguing with Babu. Long finally turned around to find Singh making the cover and counted the 1-2-3 at 5:28. After the bell, Test raced in to run off the Boss Man.

The New Midnight Express were awarded this opportunity by Mr. McMahon after winning the afore-mentioned Triple Threat Tables, Ladders & Chair Match. The Champs brought their A-Game with them to Philly and racked up valuable points with a great backstage promo prior to the contest followed by a sneak attack on the Express during Lilian Garcia's ring introductions. Cornette was able to connect with a tennis racquet smash along the way to assist his team, but it was not enough to bring them a victory. Thrasher pinned Holly after Bombastic Bob sustained the Stage Dive (Mosh Powerbomb/Thrasher Leg Drop from the top rope combo) at 7:59. The Headbangers successfully retain the WWF Tag Team Championship.

Shamrock has been chomping at the bit to get his hands on Edge ever since the Royal Rumble. Edge's interference helped Gangrel eliminate the World's Most Dangerous Man and win the contest to get a title shot at WWF Champion "Stone Cold" Steve Austin at WrestleMania. Everything went Shamrock's way tonight. It all began when "Lethal Weapon" Steve Blackman interrupted Edge's pre-match interview with Michael Cole backstage. The intrusion cost Edge 50 points. In contrast, Shamrock gained 50 points by rolling on his Technical Modifier. Shamrock tacked on an additional 100 points by thwarting his opponent's sneak attack before the bell. Things went from bad to worse for Edge when Christian tried to toss Brass Knuckles to him in the ring after Referee Chad Patton had been spilled to the canvas. The Knucks sailed over Edge's head and right into the fortuitous hands of Shamrock who wasted no time in delivering a loaded roundhouse right. Patton shook out the cobwebs to find Shamrock making the cover on the KO'd Edge and counted the pin at 6:07.

5. Faarooq vs. Blackjack Windham

To honor his father Blackjack Mulligan's legacy, Barry Windham has been trying to keep the Blackjacks tag team in tact despite Faarooq's constant meddling. The fans' seemed to be behind Windham and cheered when he disrupted Faarooq's in-ring promo to deliver one of his own. The real drama began when Blackjack Bradshaw ambled down to ringside and camped out in a neutral corner so as not to cast his support to either man. Bradshaw may have tipped his hand, however, when he distracted Windham after Barry delivered a crushed Superplex to Faarooq from the top rope. Rather than going for a pin, Barry bailed from the ring to confront Bradshaw on the floor. Faarooq soon followed to join in the fray. He and Windham slugged it out around ringside while Bradshaw returned to the back. Referee Tim White counted both competitors out at 6:22.

6. Dude Love vs. "The Big Red Machine" Kane (w/ Paul Bearer)

Despite being the heel in this match, the fans went wild (and rewarded the Big Red Machine with 125 bonus points) when flames blazed forth from all four ring posts upon Kane's command during the match introductions. Dude Love tried to counter with a comical promo, but trouble was afoot when "HBK" Shawn Michaels came out and insisted that it was his mic time instead. The two tussled over the microphone with Dude Love eventually prying it from Michaels' grasp. The incident would come home to roost at the conclusion of this match. HBK slipped into the ring and rang the Dude's bell with a microphone shot to the noggin while Referee Teddy Long was being distracted by the macabre Paul Bearer. Long turned around to find Kane making the cover on the dazed Dude and counted the pin at 11:35.

Helmsley demanded this match after Ahmed Johnson's interference helped the Rock retain the Intercontinental Championship at the Royal Rumble. Triple H was pinned by the People's Elbow after Johnson bashed Helmsley over the back with a crutch. D'Lo Brown set the tone immediately by interrupting Helmsley's interview with Michael Cole before the introductions. (Brown would have an even greater impact on the proceedings later on.) As it turned out, Johnson also had his problems delivering a promo. Vader, who has has been a constant thorn in the side of the Nation of Domination, got into it with the newest member of the stable backstage. The confrontation sparked a tense standoff with both parties issuing challenges to one another before going their separate ways. Perhaps Johnson was preoccupied by what had transpired with Vader earlier, but he struggled mightily against Helmsley in tonight's Main Event. Triple H carried the fight and appeared as though he might achieve his revenge when he planted his foe with a Spinning Spinebuster off the ropes. Unfortunately for Helmsley, Referee Jim Korderas was toppled to the mat by the maneuver and unable to make a count on the subsequent pin attempt. Mark Henry then entered the ring and was able to deliver a crushing Powerslam to Triple H before being KO'd by a chair shot from Chyna. D'Lo Brown followed with his (loaded ?) chest protector enhanced Lo Down (Frog Splash) from the top rope on the prone Helmsley. Ahmed Johnson crawled over to make the cover with Korderas shaking off his stupor to count the pin at 14:30. The controversial finish precipitated a flurry of run-ins. Shawn Michaels, X-Pac, "Bad Ass" Billy Gunn and Road Dogg joined the fray for DX as did the Rock, and the Godfather from the Nation. The program ended with an all-out Pier 6 Brawl between D-Generation X and the Nation of Domination in the ring as we faded to black with the WWF logo:

This bout never actually took place. Al Snow was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time when he inadvertently walked in on a clandestine meeting backstage between the Undertaker and Faarooq. The Deadman has been covertly trying to add members to his Ministry as of late and is particularly interested in recruiting Faarooq and Bradshaw to join the stable. Snow realized that this conversation was not meant for his ears and quickly turned to leave. Unfortunately for Al, his escape was thwarted by a massive roadblock named "Viscera" who bore a strange resemblance to that of former Men on a Mission tag team member Mabel. Viscera lifted Snow off the ground in a double overhead chokehold and tossed him away like a rag doll. Al sustained a neck injury in the process and was unable to compete against Chainsaw Charlie tonight. He is expected to be out of action for two weeks.

Both teams took turns spoiling each others pre-match promos before the contest ever got under way. Once it did, L.O.D. 2000 quickly took charge. Aided by a roll on their Savvy Modifier, Animal and Hawk used their wealth of tag team experience to great advantage. The Legion of Doom seemed poised for victory when Shawn Michaels and Hunter Hearst Helmsley of D-Generation X suddenly raced in and laid out both members of Armageddon with their respective finishers. The attack was no doubt in response to Armageddon helping Mr. McMahon defeat HBK in a First Blood Match at he Bad Blood pay-per-view. Recon, who sustained Michaels' Sweet Chin Music, was covered by Hawk for a pin attempt however Referee Teddy Long called for the bell and disqualified L.O.D. 2000 for the outside interference. The time of the match was 7:25.

Desperate and determined to keep the Blackjacks tag team in tact, Windham interfered frequently to help Bradshaw win this evening. Chainz was finally able to corral the two big cowboys together in a "meeting of the minds". The mighty noggin knocker sent Windham flying off the apron and crashing hard to the floor below. "Precious" Paul Ellering was then able to sneak up from behind and clobber the already dazed Bradshaw with a Halliburton smash to the back enabling Chainz to gain the pinfall at 6:15. After the bell, Windham went to check on his partner but Bradshaw wanted nothing to do with him and abruptly left the ring.

Since her arrival in the WWF, Bass has had an immediate impact on the Ladies Division. She was instrumental in helping Sable win the title from Chyna during a Fatal Four Way on an episode of RAW several weeks ago and injured Ivory in the process. The Ninth Wonder of the World was looking for a little payback tonight, and managed to achieve it to some degree. Wrestling holds were virtually non-existent in this contest. Chyna out-brawled her opponent and appeared to have the match sewn up after delivering a devastating Pedigree to Bass, but Sable had other ideas. The Ladies Champ ran in and broke up the subsequent pin attempt by bashing Chyna with her Championship Belt to draw the DQ from Referee Jim Korderas at 5:37.

The Hardcore Title was not on the line tonight. Mr. McMahon dispatched his bungling associates Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco to ringside to insure a Boss Man victory, but their meddling would prove to have the opposite effect. Although the Boss Man didn't appear to need any help, Brisco was determined to lend some anyway. He tried to toss the Boss Man his nightstick, but the weapon ricocheted off the side of the cage and hit Pat Patterson in the head. Brisco immediately checked on his dazed buddy allowing Stephanie to confiscate the nightstick from off of the floor. She then tossed it into the ring, and more importantly, into the waiting hands of Test who clobbered his adversary with it and escaped the cage to victory at 12:33.

Both competitors cut great promos before the match to boost their respective points totals, but this match would, for better or worse, come down to outside interference. Luna erred in big way when she reached into the ring and accidentally tripped up Goldust to turn the momentum in the challenger's favor. Tennessee Lee then did his job by distracting Referee Teddy Long to allow Jarrett to clobber the Champ over the noggin with an El Kabong Guitar Smash. Long turned around to find the challenger making the cover and counted the pin despite the guitar debris strewn about all over the ring. Your winner and neeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwww European Champion at 9:11 - Jeff Jarrett !

Mankind demanded this match after HBK cost Dude Love a loss to "The Big Red Machine" Kane on RAW last week due to a microphone smash to the forehead. Michaels tried it again this week but with far less successful results. HBK cut a promo in the ring prior to the bout and then rushed at Mankind with the mic, but was met by a boot to the midsection followed by a Double Arm DDT. Michaels rebounded to take control of the contest but had difficulty putting his adversary away. To make matters worse, Bret "The Hitman" Hart and Owen Hart came down to ringside which proved to clearly be a distraction for both HBK and Triple H. It did not take long for Owen and Helmsley to mix it up on the floor. In the meantime, Michaels, bolstered by a big roll on his Savvy Modifier, turned another would be Mankind Double Arm DDT into s Small Package Cradle. With Referee Earl Hebner distracted by the melee OOR, Bret Hart snuck in and reversed HBK's cradle. Hebner turned around to find Mankind on top and counted the winning pin at 13:02. After the bell, Michaels sat up and smiled at Bret who did likewise as he was returning to the back. Those two weren't the only ones who were grinning at the finish. Mr. McMahon was apparently watching the match on a monitor in his office and was beaming from ear to ear at the outcome. "Priceless !" the Boss exclaimed, "I smell a match ........ and lots of money!" And with that we fade to black with the WWF logo:

Scorpio cut a great promo prior to tonight's opening bout, however the bonus points that he earned were offset by Mr. McMahon who endorsed Pantera as a goodwill gesture toward the international talent pool within the ranks of the WWF. To reinforce his conviction, the Boss dispatched his associates Gerald Brisco and Pat Patterson to ringside to insure a Pantera victory. McMahon's strategy nearly backfired, however. Rather than help the cause, the bungling duo nearly cost the Mexican star the match. Patterson attempted to clobber Scorpio with a folding chair but ended up decking Pantera with it instead. The masked luchador barely managed to get a foot on the bottom rope to prevent a pinfall. The contest eventually got out of hand with both competitors bashing one another with Patterson's chair. Referee Earl Hebner had enough and ruled a Double Disqualification at 6:51.

Though more accustomed to tag team competition, Matt Hardy went the singles route this evening after brother Jeff sustained a concussion at the hands of their former manger Michael Hayes a few weeks ago. Despite the injury, Jeff accompanied Matt to the ring much to the delight of their fans. The Hardys are very popular with the younger crowd and rewarded Matt with an additional 125 points to work with after the brothers made a big entrance. Not to be outdone, Cornette bolstered Holly's heel score by 75 points by snatching the house mic away from Lilian Garcia and performing the ring introduction for Bombastic Bob. This highly competitive bout was ultimately decided by some outside interference gone awry. Jeff meant well when he stole away Cornette's tennis racquet and tossed it into the ring for his brother to use, however Holly spied it first. Bombastic Bob whalloped Matt from behind while Referee Chad Patton was arguing with Cornette. Holly then finished off his dazed opponent with a Falcon Arrow (Sitout Suplex Slam) to gain the 1-2-3 at 7:00.

3. Droz & Prince Albert vs. Big Trouble (Big Show & the Big Bossman)

Mr. McMahon has made it clear that Prince Albert is in his doghouse. The Boss was not pleased with Albert's early departure from the Royal Rumble a month ago and threatened to fire him if he didn't see a better effort from the big man in the future. To emphasize his point, McMahon came down to ringside to witness this tag team contest first-hand. As one might imagine, his foreboding presence proved to be an endless source of distraction for Droz and his partner. Once they got him in the ring, Big Trouble isolated Albert and prevented him from reaching his corner to tag out. At one point, the Bossman held the battered Prince from behind while McMahon chewed him out and slapped him across the face. The former prison guard from Cobb County, Georgia then finished Albert off with the Bossman Slam (Spinning Sidewalk Slam) to give Big Trouble the victory at 6:35.

The story of this match was what took place before it even started. Severn was jumped backstage by former UFC rival Ken Shamrock before the contest and sustained 200 points worth of damage. Though he was considered to be the underdog going into the match, Vega's chances suddenly looked considerably better. Severn pulled this one out in the end, but not without help from his valet. Terri sprayed Savio in the face with a fire extinguisher thereby enabling the Beast to cradle his blinded foe in a Small Package for the winning pinfall at 5:16.

Both men scored points with the fans for their respective entrances. The Pimp Daddy came to the ring first with a half dozen of his ladies of the evening. The scantily clad girls then proceeded to dance and prance their way into the crowd's heart to some funky 70's jam. Road Dogg's music then hit followed by his trademark "Oh, you didn't know ? Your ass better call someone !" howl. In a comical moment, the Godfather offered the services of his gals to the New Age Outlaws for the evening if Road Dogg agreed to forfeit the match to him in return. After careful consideration and contemplation, the Dogg declined the suggestion with a rather disparaging remark. Apparently offended by the snub, one of the ladies (who suspiciously resembled that of future WWF diva Lita) slipped the Pimp Daddy one of his gold chains during the action. The Godfather wrapped the bling around his fist and clocked Road Dogg with a loaded punch to the kisser. Referee Chad Patton caught the infraction, however, and awarded the match to the Dogg by disqualification at 6:41.

Mero drew some serious heat during his entrance to pad his score by 125 points, and then tacked on another 100 points with a sneak attack from behind on the former adult film star while Venis lecherously twirled a towel from off his gyrating hips during his introduction. The double-whammy was simply too much for Val to overcome. Ryan Shamrock must have sensed it, too, and climbed up onto the apron to lend her man some help. The quick-thinking Mero sent his opponent crashing into her and then caught Venis in a Schoolboy Rollup as he staggered backward from the collision to score the pin at 8:14. After the bell, Ryan and Val had words in the ring as to who was to blame for the defeat.

Shamrock is a man on a mission ever since Edge and Gangrel conspired against him to help the Vampire Warrior win the Royal Rumble. As a result, Gangrel was awarded a title match against WWF Champion "Stone Cold" Steve Austin at WrestleMania. Shamrock has sworn revenge on the Brood and beat Edge in a match on RAW the Monday night following the Rumble. It was an ominous sign for the Vampire Warrior when Referee Teddy Long ordered both Edge and Christian to return to the back following Lilian Garcia's match introductions. Assisted by a roll on his Speed Modifier, the World's Most Dangerous Man dominated this bout and got Gangrel to tap out to his Ankle Lock finisher at 8:10. At first Shamrock refused to release the hold, but finally relinquished when Long threatened to disqualify him. Shamrock was then confronted by Dan Severn after he had exited the ring. The two battled back up the ramp and to the back with several officials racing in to break up the melee. And with that we fade to black with the WWF logo: